In April 2025, the Council of Ministers reduced the daily hospital consumer fee that patients admitted to a hospital have to pay for up to 10 days per year, from BGN 5.80 (€2,96) to BGN 1 (€0.51).
The amendment was introduced through the transitional and final provisions of the Council of Ministers’ decree on the implementation of the state budget for 2025, without prior consultation with the relevant stakeholders. Hospital associations have firmly opposed this change, as well as the lack of transparency in the political process. They argue that the user fee for inpatient care is not a barrier to patient access – especially since the most vulnerable groups are exempt from paying it – but it is an important source of revenue for hospitals.
Bulgaria continues to report a high and growing hospital admission rate, reaching 45 832.5 per 100 000 population in 2023.