September 9, 2010

The Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Simeon Diankov appeared today September 9, 2010 before the National Assembly to respond to the inquiries about the spending of the remaining in the Central Bank unused (surplus) funds since 2000 of the National Health Insurance Fund. The Finance Minister stated that the reforms in the health sector have stopped since 2001. He said also that the previous two governments have done nothing to improve the healthcare sector and it was for the present government and parliament to tackle the problems. He acknowledged that there was in the last year delays in the payments, but stressed that the main fault lies with the previous two governments, which have ceased the health reforms for eight years.

Simeon Diankov pointed that since 2006 the funds for hospital care have continuously grown each year and the health system had swallowed more money without any reform. It turns out that in the year of economic crisis the Bulgarian healthcare spends more money than in the best fiscal year, and it is precisely because the system is not reformed, said Simeon Diankov. Bulgarians are not more healthy, which means that money is not used effectively enough, he added, and in support cited data showing that over the past five years the receipts of the NHIF have increased by 60 per cent. The Finance Minister also explained that the reserve of the Health Insurance Fund can not be used without increasing the deficit. The additional funding has been provided through cuts in other budget items.