The social function of the state should not be performed by general practitioners. The state should take on its commitment to people who are exempt from user fee. This opinion was expressed in the studio of “Wake up” on Nova TV by general practitioner Dr. Gergana Nikolova, commenting on the request of general practitioners to increase the user fee.
According to her, the fee has not been changed for more than 13 years, although the minimum wage has increased fourfold. According to her, it is time to rethink the mechanism by which it is determined, as well as who pays it.
„We do not want to fix an amount, but we want a conversation in which to assess whether it should be 0.5% of the minimum wage, whether there should be another formula - but we have to think realistically. And yes, the state must assume its commitment. It is not the job of the general practitioner to perform the social function of the state“, she is categorical.
Dr. Nikolova emphasized that currently the long list of those exempt from the fee - including children, pensioners, pregnant women, people with chronic diseases - leads to an uneven load on the system. According to her, a fairer model would be for everyone to pay the fee, and for the state to subsequently reimburse the amounts to the socially disadvantaged.
„The fee also has a certain deterrent function. The system should not be overloaded with people who are exempt from user fees, but come daily without real need, while others who need and pay a fee cannot reach a doctor," explained Dr. Nikolova.
Nikolova also drew attention to the increasingly heavy administrative and physical workload of general practitioners, who are becoming fewer and fewer.
"Maintaining a medical practice is also a serious expense," she reminded. And she was categorical that the fee that the patient pays is not “pure profit" for the doctor – it covers personnel costs, consumables, insurance and office rent.