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 stated that these tests are critical because they determine a specific cancer or metastasis’s sensitivity to certain medications.
Without such diagnostic testing, patients are limited to older therapeutic regimens, which are often poorly tolerated and less effective. Currently, Bulgaria is reported as the only country in the European Union where patients must cover the costs of this necessary biomarker testing privately, with expenses ranging between EUR 500 and EUR 2,500. In its formal complaint, the ADBH seeks a finding of discrimination against cancer patients and requests that state authorities be mandated to rectify the situation.
Furthermore, the patient organization is urging individuals who have paid out-of-pocket for biomarker testing to contact the association so their cases can be included in broader actions aimed at protecting patient rights, including pursuing claims for damages. The issue stems from recent budgetary adjustments. While funds for biomarker diagnostics were initially allocated within the National Health Insurance Fund’s 2026 budget, an amendment adopted during the second reading shifted these funds from the medical services budget line to the medical devices budget line.
Topics: #association #discrimination #biomarker
