The Association for the Development of Bulgarian Healthcare (ADBH) announced on Friday that it will file a complaint with the Commission for Protection against Discrimination. The complaint targets the Bulgarian Medical Association and the National Health Insurance Fund concerning their refusal to incorporate funding for biomarker diagnostics into the National Framework Contract. The association emphasized the critical role of biomarkers, which are essential for determining the sensitivity of specific cancers or metastases to particular medications.
Without this diagnostic testing, patients are limited to older, basic therapies that can be difficult to tolerate and may lack efficacy. Currently, Bulgaria is the sole European Union nation where patients must cover the costs of this type of diagnostic testing out-of-pocket, with expenses ranging between EUR 500 and EUR 2,500. In its submission to the Commission, the ADBH seeks a ruling confirming discrimination against cancer patients and requests that state authorities take measures to remedy the situation.
The patient organization is urging individuals who have paid for biomarker testing privately to contact the association so their cases can be incorporated into future actions aimed at protecting their rights, including pursuing compensation for damages. The issue stems from funding allocated for biomarker diagnostics within the National Health Insurance Fund’s 2026 budget. However, during the second reading, an amendment was adopted that reclassified these funds, moving them from the medical services budget line to the medical devices budget line.
Topics: #association #discrimination #biomarker
