Bulgaria expands dental care coverage under new NHIF agreement

The National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) and the Bulgarian Dental Union have signed a National Framework Agreement for dental activities covering the 2026–2028 period. The agreement, signed at the Ministry of Health, introduces several changes to dental care services in Bulgaria.

Starting November 1, 2026, insured adults over the age of 18 will be entitled to a fourth dental activity annually. This expands the previous package, which allowed for three activities consisting of combinations of chemical composite obturation or permanent tooth extraction. This change aligns the number of available activities for adults with those provided to children.

For pediatric dental care, the time dentists can report for performed activities will increase from six to a maximum of eight hours per day on a five-day work week. This measure aims to improve access to specialized dental care for children under 18. Additionally, the NHIF will increase payments by 5.24 euros for certain comprehensive dental examinations, which will remain free for patients.

A new reporting restriction will also be introduced for surgeons performing dental care packages, limiting reported activities to an average of eight hours per day on a five-day work week, regardless of the number of contracts held.