The Supervisory Board of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) approved today the fund's draft budget for next year, which provides for a new mechanism for guaranteeing minimum salaries for young doctors without a specialty and nurses, midwives and related professions. The topic was commented on in the program “Face to Face“ on BTV by the Deputy Minister of Health Yavor Penchev, who is also the Chairman of the NHIF Supervisory Board.
Penchev explained that a new article will be introduced in the Law on Medical Institutions, which fixes mandatory minimum salaries for the specified groups. For the first time, the amounts have been calculated and indicated in euros:
1860 euros – for doctors without a specialty, including dentists, psychologists with a master's degree, pharmacists with a master's degree without a specialty, as well as specialists with non-medical education (in the field of biological, chemical, physical, engineering sciences and biotechnology) working in medical institutions
1,550 euros – for nurses, midwives, physician assistants, paramedics, rehabilitators, public health inspectors, pharmacist assistants, dental technicians and other related professions.
Penchev emphasized that the demands of the protesting young doctors and medical specialists have been fully satisfied – they insisted on 150% and 125% of the average gross salary for the country, which is achieved with the new levels.
To guarantee the payment of these salaries, 260 million euros have been allocated in the state budget for 2026, which will be transferred from the central budget to the NHIF.
The procedure and conditions for implementing the new salaries will be specified in the upcoming negotiations between the NHIF and the Bulgarian Medical Association and recorded in the Framework Agreement.
“For me, this is a sustainable solution, because we are fixing the minimum salaries in the Law on Medical Institutions itself. They will be in effect until they are amended or repealed, and there is no need to re-adopt them every year,“ explained the deputy minister.
Penchev added that the planned funds have been coordinated with the Ministry of Finance and the coalition partners and expressed confidence that the National Assembly will adopt the proposal without significant changes.