site.btaNHIF Organizes Awareness Campaign about Elderly Nursing Home Patients' Health Rights

Awareness raising sessions on health insurance rights for elderly people in care homes are being organized by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), the NHIF said here on Friday.

The goal of the meetings is to improve the awareness and protection of elderly people. During the sessions, NHIF experts explain to the nursing home residents their rights. The discussions focus mainly on outpatient and dental care, access to medical aid devices, as well as the obligations and services that their general practitioner must provide to them as insured citizens. 

Special attention is given to the possibilities of accessing personal health information through the mobile app eHealth, as well as the practical steps to use it. A representative from Information Services JSC assists on-site by pairing the phones of those interested with the app and presenting its functionality. People are also informed about the procedure for filing a complaint if they detect any irregularities, as well as the risks of increased phishing scams that misuse the NHIF’s name to commit fraud or abuse personal data. NHIF experts provide specific advice on how to recognize fake messages and how to respond if fraud is suspected.

The project has already started on a pilot basis in elderly care homes in Sofia. The meetings with the elderly are held in person, in an accessible and understandable format, encouraging dialogue, sharing, and questions from those attending.

Starting this autumn, NHIF experts will meet with school and university students to discuss and explain topics related to prevention and the options for medical care during travel. The initiative is part of the information campaign “NHIF for You.”

Over 15,000 Bulgarians accessed their electronic health records via their mobile phones in July as part of the Ministry of Health’s campaign to promote the mobile application eHealth.