The Association for the Development of Bulgarian Healthcare (ADBH) announced on Friday that it plans to submit a formal complaint to the Commission for Protection against Discrimination. The complaint targets the Bulgarian Medical Association and the National Health Insurance Fund due to their refusal to include procedures for financing biomarker diagnostics within the National Framework Contract. The ADBH emphasized the critical role of these tests, noting that biomarker analysis is essential for determining which specific medications are effective against a patient’s type of cancer or metastasis.
Without such testing, patients are limited to older, basic therapies that can be difficult to tolerate and may lack efficacy. The association highlighted that Bulgaria currently stands as the only country within the European Union where financing for this crucial diagnostic testing must be covered entirely out-of-pocket by patients, with costs reportedly ranging between EUR 500 and EUR 2,500. Through its complaint, the association seeks a ruling from the Commission identifying discrimination against cancer patients and demanding that state authorities take action to rectify the situation.
Furthermore, the patient organization is encouraging individuals who have paid for biomarker testing privately to contact the association so their cases can be incorporated into future actions, potentially including claims for compensation. The issue stems from the reallocation of funds. While funding for biomarker diagnostics had been allocated in the National Health Insurance Fund’s 2026 budget, an adopted amendment moved these designated funds from the medical services budget line to the medical devices budget line.
Topics: #association #discrimination #biomarker
