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Bulgaria International Health Insurance / Healthcare System
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 Bulgaria is
bordered by five other countries in southeastern Europe; Romania
to the north, Turkey to the southeast, Greece to the south, the
former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the southwest, and Serbia
to the west. The country has a coastline on the Black Sea. The
total land area of the country is 110,910 square kilometers. The
capital, Sofia, is located at the bottom of the Vitosha Mountain,
in the West of the country. Bulgaria has four distinctive seasons,
spring, summer, autumn and winter. The country generally has a
temperate climate, with cold winters and hot summers. It has an
annual average temperature of around 10.5°C. In summer, the
average temperatures typically do not exceed 30°C, while in
January, the coldest month, the average temperature is around
-4°C. The climate in Bulgaria is extremely suitable for growing
vines, fruits, vegetables, and oil-yielding Bulgarian rose.
Bulgaria has many mountainous regions. Snow is often seen on the
mountains for six months of the year and it is often a meter deep.
It is a perfect destination for winter sports. For those who
prefer the sun, they will enjoy clean air and sunny days that
occur approximately 250 days per year. The country is famous for
its beautiful beaches and is also full of charming historical
architecture and diverse cultural attractions.
Healthcare system in Bulgaria consists of both public and private
sectors. The Ministry of Health (MOH) is responsible for the
effective operation of Bulgaria’s National healthcare system. The
regional health centres are accountable for the local
administration of healthcare in each of the 28 administrative
districts of the country. The National Health Insurance Fund
manages the health insurance system in Bulgaria, which is carried
out by its territorial divisions, namely the 28 regional Health
Insurance Funds. It is compulsory that the working population in
the country contribute to the national health insurance system.
Under the State healthcare system, Bulgarians are entitled to free
or subsidised medical care from a doctor. It also includes free
doctor referrals to specialists, reduced price medicines and
dental treatment.
It is the responsibility of the employers to enroll employees into
the health insurance fund when they first join the company. Both
employers and employees contribute to the insurance fund.
Contribution from employees is deducted directly form their
monthly salaries and put into the Bulgarian social security (NOI).
Every year, the Bulgarian parliament will decide what the budget
for the National Health fund is, and this would in turn determine
what the amount of contribution to the insurance fund is. People,
who are self-employed, are required to make their own
contributions towards the healthcare fund. Dependents of the
employed family members are covered by the public healthcare
system; this is provided that the employed members make a higher
rate of contribution to the health fund. The unemployed,
pensioners, the poor, students, soldiers, civil servants and
vulnerable groups of people have exemptions and are not required
to contribute to the healthcare fund.
If registered foreign residents in Bulgaria want to earn their
entitlement to public healthcare, they must contribute to the
national insurance fund whether they are under employment or not.
Alternatively, they can choose to go to private healthcare
facilities for treatments. Since Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007,
under the reciprocal health agreements, EU citizens with health
insurance in their home countries are entitled to reduced cost or
free medical treatments covered by the Bulgarian social insurance.
This is provided that EU citizens staying in Bulgaria only
temporarily for up to a period of 90 days, and that they present a
copy of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) upon
registration.
Private healthcare is available in Bulgaria and their standard is
typically much higher than that available from public healthcare facilities.
However, this comes at a price, charges at private healthcare
facilities are expensive. Patients are required to make out of
pocket payments or to have in place a private medical insurance plan. For
people who do not contribute to social security, and are not
covered by reciprocal agreements, it is highly recommended to take
out a private Bulgaria international health insurance policy to ensure that
medical costs will be covered in the event of an accident or
illness.
The medical staff in Bulgaria are very well trained, although the
standard of their health facilities and cleanliness are not on par
with the standards of other western European countries. Patients
can choose to register with a doctor of their choice. If you want
to visit a specialist or be admitted into a hospital, a doctor’s
referral will be required. For patients who visit specialists or
hospitals without a referral, they must pay for any services
rendered.
Hospitals and clinics exist in all major towns and cities of
Bulgaria, however, provision in rural areas is restricted. Most
qualified medical staff are centered in the urban areas.
Facilities in Bulgarian hospitals are adequate, but the health
service was previously largely under-funded, which has resulted in
many hospitals not being fully maintained. Moreover, specialised
equipment and treatment may not always be available. In some
cases, patients need to purchase the necessities such as drugs and
food. The nurse to patient ratio in Bulgaria is low, as such, some
of the general nursing duties like changing bed sheets and serving
meals are expected to be done by the family members of the
patient. Under-the-table payments do exist in the healthcare
system in Bulgaria. This happens particularly more often with the
expat population in the country.
Patients are admitted to a hospital with a doctor or specialist
referral. If a patient goes to a hospital without a referral, they
will only be admitted to the hospital after an assessment on the
status of the patients was carried out to determine if hospital
care is required. If the examination shows that hospital care is
deemed unnecessary, the patient must pay for all the associated
healthcare costs themselves.
If you are looking for peace-of-mind knowing that medical costs
will be covered in case of an accident or illness for yourself and
your family while travelling to Bulgaria, a Bulgaria international health insurance plan will be the optimal solution for you. Global Health
Insurance policies offered by Globalsurance can assist you to
customise the policy coverage to suit your individual
requirements. We offer a wide variety of insurance plans for
individuals, families, teachers and groups, which may include
benefits for inpatient, outpatient, dental, maternity, travel and
many others. To discuss more with our experienced consultants on
the most appropriate level of insurance that meet your needs,
please contact one of our expert advisers now.
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