Bulgarian doctors and patients have expected health care reform to take place for 20 years now. During the transition years the authorities have exercised various options on the back of the taxpayers, but none of them has brought the anticipated change.

As result of so many years of experiments, over 1 million Bulgarians have remained outside the health insurance system, other 4 million – children, pensioners and socially vulnerable, depend on the state to take care of them and only 2.5 million do pay for health insurance. But definitely the whole nation has become more ill and has continued paying much for health, but under the table.

Number of doctors and the majority of nurses have left the country and as a result hospitals have become monuments of political short-sightedness. All politicians of the transition period have been aware that the wheels of the reform would not grab but they have not had the political will and the courage to fight the stall and put a fresh start.

When, marking its first 100 days in office, the current government has announced intentions to design a brand new health insurance law, everybody has been eager to learn its postulates. In November last year, health minister Dr. Bozidar Nanev announced that 2011 will be revolutionary for the Bulgarian health insurance, bringing to the fore the three-pillar model with first and second mandatory pillars and a voluntary third pillar. There have been comments that the health insurance companies should work without profit, but only a few weeks later, in early December, the chairman of the parliamentary health committee Lachezar Ivanov has corrected the idea, pointing out that private health insurance companies will be able to form their profit, but only in the third year after being licensed. It has also been announced that early this year the new health insurance law will be designed. Dr Lachezar Ivanov confirmed this intentions in his priorities for the new parliamentary session, calling on representatives of institutions, trade unions, NGOs and private health funds to share their opinions and recommendations.

 

Led by the idea to add to the public discussions by gathering the views of key players in the health insurance sector, the PR agency Expert Business Group and Insurance BG (www.insurance.bg) are organizing a conference "Health Insurance in Bulgaria – Current State, Development Models". The event will be held on January 26, 2010 (Tuesday) from 9:00 am at Sheraton Hotel (Royal 3 hall).

State persons – members of parliament, representatives of the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance, the Financial Supervisory Commission, the National Health Insurance Fund, are invited to participate in the forum. We expect the business perspective to be elaborated by the representatives of the Association of Licensed Companies for Voluntary Health Insurance and by the private health insurers. We also rely on the active participation in the conference of the professionals and the experts – from the Bulgarian Medical Association, the trade unions, consumer organizations. Interest in the forum has also expressed the Faculty of Public Health of the Medical University in Sofia.

Bulgarian and foreign speakers at the forum will competently address the issues of the health insurance sector in Bulgaria, various foreign practices with their accomplishments and mistakes, the optimal model for our country, the financial scope of the reform and the expected effects it will bring in.