site.btaAmendments to Organ Transplantation Act Up on Health Ministry Site for Public Consultation

The Ministry of Health published on its website on July 4 draft legislation for a 1-month public consultation. The legislation would amend the Organ, Tissue and Cell Transplantation Act to have disagreement to donate organs, tissues and cells to be expressed in a declaration instead of using the health insurance card.

The declaration would be submitted to the Executive Agency Medical Supervision.

The bill proposes to repeal the wording that requires dissent to be entered in the health insurance card due to its repeal. According to the new texts, dissent to the procurement of organs, tissues and cells will be expressed in writing by signing a declaration to be submitted to the Agency. The declaration can also be submitted electronically. Written dissent must be entered in the Agency's official register within three days of receipt of the declaration, and the Agency must notify the dissenters in writing within three days of their dissent.

The reason for the development of the draft legislation is the need to improve and update the legal framework in the field of e-health. Changes were also proposed to abolish the obligation of the National Health Insurance Fund to issue a health insurance card to every person with compulsory insurance.

At present, the law provides for the right of every citizen to express their explicit written opposition to the removal of organs, tissues and cells after death, and regulates that this will be specified in their health insurance card.

As of June 3, 2025, 862 Bulgarians were on the organ transplant waiting list, with 799 needing a kidney, 27 of them needing a liver, 23 needing a heart, 11 of them needing a lung, and two of them needing a small intestine transplant.