„The funds for the expensive treatment of seriously ill children in 2026 have not been increased even by a penny“, despite the record increase in the NHIF budget by 1.4 billion leva. This was stated before the vote on the first reading of the draft budget of the Health Fund, the MP from "Vazrazhdane" Petar Petrov. He announced that on behalf of the parliamentary group he would again propose an increase in funding for the treatment of children with serious illnesses, and would insist that part of the funds earmarked for COVID vaccines be transferred to this expense.
Petrov emphasized that in recent years the amounts for such treatment have been increased at the insistence of "Vazrazhdane" – from 37 million leva in 2022 to 84 million leva in 2024 and 2025, but for 2026 the amount has remained unchanged, despite the significant increase in the total budget of the Treasury.
„How could they not be ashamed of the Council of Ministers – 1 billion and 400 million more for healthcare and not a single penny more for the treatment of children“, he said.
„I am sure that there are no Bulgarian citizens who would say that with this increase of a billion in the money to be stolen through hospital care, healthcare will improve. This has not happened in any way before“, said Petrov.
According to him, the funds will be stolen through clinical pathways, equipment, medications and bonuses. “This is how the money for hospital care is stolen, this is how it will continue to be stolen with these additional 400 million leva“, said Petar Petrov.
He also questioned the planned revenues of 448 million leva in excess of health insurance contributions. According to him, they will not be collected, since for those receiving high salaries, the maximum insurance threshold can easily be circumvented by paying additional material incentives (DMS), and the gray sector will not be illuminated. "I wonder where this money will come from," Petrov said.
He described some of the planned increases, such as the 400 million leva more for hospitals, as meaningless given the lack of growth in children's treatment.
"I want to tell Bulgarian citizens and parents that we from "Vazrazhdane" will give them some hope - unlike the government, for which they mean absolutely nothing," said the MP from "Vazrazhdane" Petar Petrov.