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A PCR test paid for by citizens cannot be a condition for admission or consultation with a specialist in medical institutions, the Ministry of Health announced.
All health insured persons have the right to access medical facilities for the provision of hospital care paid for by the NHIF, when the objective of diagnosis and / or treatment cannot be achieved under ambulatory care conditions. Citizens have the right to choose a medical institution that has concluded a contract with NHIF for the provision of relevant hospital care across the country. Hospital admission for diagnosis and treatment (including surgery) is made on the basis of health status and related indications for hospital treatment and should not be avoided by introducing other preconditions. Furthermore, during hospitalization, medical establishments are obliged to strictly observe the prevention and control measures of infections related to medical care.
With the amendments to Ordinance № 9 of 2019 to determine the package of health activities, guaranteed by the budget of the National Health Insurance Fund, which entered into force on 04.24.2020, the NHIF pays for the diagnostic activity of COVID- 19 by conducting a highly specialized study “Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for the detection of COVID-19”.
At the moment, the Ministry of Health has not received any signal from citizens who have been asked to pay for a PCR test for COVID-19 as a condition for diagnosis and / or treatment.
The Ministry of Health calls on all Bulgarian citizens to quickly send signals in the event that medical institutions reject the diagnosis or treatment without a PCR test. All reports of violations will be inspected by the Executive Agency for Medical Supervision.
