site.btaCabinet Approves Organ Transplant Law Changes, Drops Written Opt-Out in Health Booklet

At its regular meeting on Wednesday, the Council of Ministers approved amendments to the Organ, Tissue and Cell Transplantation Act, removing the requirement for individuals to express explicit written refusal during their lifetime for organ, tissue, and cell donation after death – a statement that was previously recorded in their health insurance booklet.

The proposed changes aim to modernize and improve the legal framework in the field of e-health. In this context, the amendments also abolish the obligation of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to issue a physical health insurance booklet to every insured person. The measure is part of the broader digitalization process in healthcare, implemented through the National Health Information System (NHIS). The NHIS collects, processes, and stores data on the population’s health status by creating and maintaining an electronic health record for every citizen, as well as by supporting public and administrative electronic registries, databases, and information systems.

Under the new provisions of the Organ, Tissue and Cell Transplantation Act, every Bulgarian citizen will be able to express their consent or refusal regarding posthumous organ, tissue, and cell donation directly to the Executive Agency for Medical Supervision, including through an electronic declaration submitted online.