In Bulgaria today, health care is often seen as less than perfect by many and below the standards of other European and Western countries. When it comes to individuals using the health system in Bulgaria, at least one out of ten people are said to have no idea how the National Health Insurance Fund operates. Many of the young people simply avoid the issue altogether believing that the health care system is simply for the aged and sick who need it and not for them. They refuse to pay into the system or participate in it.

The situation is made worse because doctors are paid very little in Bulgaria and depend on the patients to give them money or what some call bribes for their services. Many Bulgarians see this as a corrupt system that often demands payment for routine services when they are suppose to be free. They think the present system is crime at the highest level and avoid the health care system whenever possible.

Bulgarian National Radio reports that a recent survey regarding health care found that a person’s ” health status was not part of the Bulgarian model of happiness.” They went on to say, “Our fellow citizens feel inclined to associate happiness with material gain, wealth and fame, but not with health. There are many who underestimate the significance of regular check-ups, which are mandatory and paid for by the National Health Insurance Fund. The fact that less than 60% of the insured have been through their annual visit to the doctor could be explained also with the quality of the service provided by the GPs. Hence one can assume that the Bulgarians have a very unhealthy lifestyle. Bulgaria has a very big number of people with overweight (nearly 30%) and obesity (12%). The incidence of strokes, heart attacks and cardiac disease is also considerable. Many of the malignant tumors are diagnosed only at advanced stage because of the lack of quality screening and prevention.”

Many people in Bulgaria rarely ever see a doctor and believe that when they do they will be given prescriptions for drugs that they do not have the money to buy. This type of thinking along with high rates of smoking and other unhealthy life style practices spells trouble for many in Bulgaria as they age. Previous generations were very concerned about their health and used the health care system extensively but this is not the trend today.

The question is: how will this attitude toward health care affect future generations in Bulgaria? Only time will tell but at the moment it seems that many Bulgarians pay little attention to health care believing that they are better off staying away from a system they neither trust or respect.

USA education level required to read this post: 10th grade

Questions for group and pair discussion

• What is your opinion of the Bulgarian Health System?

• Do you have annual checkups and pay into the National Health Insurance Fund?

• Should doctors expect tips or bribes to help make their salaries bigger?

• How would you improve the system if you were asked to offer your suggestions?