Most Bulgarians expect the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to guarantee a basic kit of services first and then allow it to compete with private health insurance funds, a health reform poll, commissioned by the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and the Patients' Association, revealed on March 17, mediapool.bg reported.

BSP, the senior partner in the three-way ruling coalition, commissioned the survey to see the public opinion on the changes to health care legislation the government is planning to introduce by the end of its mandate in mid-2009.

The party is expected to use the results of the survey “to defend and legitimise” its position in talks with coalition partners - National Movement for Stability and Progress (NMSP) and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), mediapool.bg said. BSP is in favour of dismantling NHIF's monopoly all the way and allow private funds to compete freely with it by 2010.

Answering a question on whether the political council of the coalition would meet in the near future to decide how to continue with the long-delayed health reform, BSP secretary Ivelin Nikolov said that the matter was exclusively in the hands of the three leaders.

According to the survey, the most serious problems were in the hospital treatment. Nikolov said that the national health card was to get approval soon. However, he said that its introduction should occur once patients and doctors alike were familiar with the entire process.

Another conclusion of the survey is that the state administration - and citizens - should exercise stricter control over health care funds.

The results of the poll showed that 52 per cent of the respondents believed that the national framework agreement, regulating health care matters for a calendar year, should not be agreed only by the NHIF and the sector organisations, but also by doctors.

Most respondents also believed that the government should be a party to the negotiating process as well, because it is in charge of fixing the prices for medical services.

Asked whether they were satisfied with treatment, most respondents said they were satisfied with their general practitioner doctor and dentist, whereas 64 per cent said they were unhappy with the medical service in hospitals.