380,000 Bulgarians lose access to free healthcare

2010-02-02

Almost 380,000 Bulgarians have lost their access to free healthcare as a result of changes in the Public Health Act, introduced in January 2010. This is in addition to almost a million Bulgarians who fail to pay their healthcare contributions.
In accordance with the new Act, health insurance rights for a self-employed person are lost if three health insurance payment contributions are missed in a 36 consecutive month period. Until December 2009, the period was 12 months. The National Incomes Agency announced that 50,000 people visited its offices in the first days of January to check their health insurance status and to pay any outstanding fees.