The Association for the Development of Bulgarian Healthcare (ADBH) announced on Friday that it plans to file a complaint 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 stated that biomarker testing is vital for determining the sensitivity of specific types of cancer or metastasis to certain medications.
Without this diagnostic capability, patients are limited to older, basic therapies that can be difficult to tolerate and may lack efficacy. Currently, Bulgaria is reported to be the sole European Union country where patients must cover the costs of this essential biomarker testing themselves, with expenses ranging from EUR 500 to EUR 2,500. Through its complaint, the ADBH seeks a finding of discrimination against cancer patients and requests that state authorities be mandated to rectify the situation.
The patient organization has urged individuals who have personally funded biomarker testing to contact the association so their cases can be integrated into future legal actions aimed at protecting patient rights, including pursuing compensation for damages. Funding for biomarker diagnostics had been allocated in the National Health Insurance Fund’s 2026 budget. However, during the second reading of the budget, an amendment was passed that redirected these funds from the medical services budget line to the medical devices budget line, prompting the association’s legal action against perceived discrimination.
Topics: #association #discrimination #biomarker
