Bulgaria's National Health Insurance Fund budget reaches €5.2 bn in 2026

The National Health Insurance Fund (NZOК) in Bulgaria is set to handle a budget of €5.2 billion for 2026, an increase of 8.5% over the previous year. The funds cover hospital treatment, medicines, personal doctors, specialists, laboratory tests and a large share of medical aid. The Fund processes more than €14 million each day and its new management under Dr Asen Medzhiev follows the appointment of former health minister Dr Mimi Vitkova as a critic.

Experts such as Dr Mimi Vitkova and health economist Arkadi Sharakov warn that merely increasing the budget will not improve the health system without tighter control. They point to “uncontrolled spending,” regional disparities in specialist access, and a lack of transparency in medical device pricing. Both call for comprehensive audits and professional analyses linking doctors and economists to identify reforms that caused current distortions. The discussion also highlights ongoing debates over hospital funding limits and past investigations into alleged misuse of public health funds.