The Association for the Development of Bulgarian Healthcare (ADBH) announced on Friday that it will file a complaint on Monday with the Commission for Protection against Discrimination. The complaint targets the Bulgarian Medical Association and the National Health Insurance Fund regarding their refusal to incorporate funding for biomarker diagnostics into the National Framework Contract. The association emphasized the critical role of biomarkers, noting that these tests are essential for determining which medications are effective against specific types of cancer or metastasis.
According to ADBH, without this diagnostic testing, patients are limited to older, less tolerable, and often ineffective basic therapies. The ADBH highlighted that Bulgaria currently stands as the sole European Union nation where patients must bear the full cost of biomarker diagnostics, with expenses ranging between EUR 500 and EUR 2,500. In its complaint to the Commission, the association seeks a finding of discrimination against cancer patients and requests that state authorities take measures to rectify the situation.
The patient organization is urging individuals who have covered the cost of biomarker testing privately to contact the association. This will allow their cases to be included in future legal actions aimed at protecting patient rights, which may include seeking compensation for damages. While funds for biomarker diagnostics were initially allocated in the National Health Insurance Fund’s 2026 budget, an amendment adopted during the second reading relocated these funds from the medical services budget line to the medical devices budget line, prompting the current action by the association.
Topics: #association #discrimination #biomarker
