A responsibility of the Ministry of Health and the Cabinet is that the budget health expenditure for the next year does not exceed what will be accepted as a final healthcare budget for 2014, said the Health Minister Dr. Petar Moskov in discussing the bill for amending the Law on the National Health Insurance Fund.

“Therefore, the Ministry of Health will introduce a clear calendar for reforms and legislative initiatives in late November. 2015 will be a transformational year for healthcare,” – he explained.

According to Moskov it is important to have a clear majority with a clear program which would go through the revised budget for 2014 and the budget for 2015.

The President of the NHIF Rumiana Todorova emphasized that it is very dangerous for this activity which is carried out to remain unpaid and be left for the next year. She explained that there are stopped payments to hospitals since 2010, all of which have been filed as lawsuits. As a result the NHIF has paid all the work which has been suspended, as well as the interest for four years.

“Especially companies to which hospitals owe sums for unpaid drugs have began to levy distraints, which blocks the work of the rather large hospitals. There already are several threatening letters to the treasury from big wholesalers, who ask the Funds to suspend payments until the hospitals pay back, “- she said.

“Things are quite serious, if this money is not paid this year and we do not pay it, it will come as a deficit. The measures will take effect at least a year from now. Let ’15 start afresh, ” – said Rumyana Todorova.