Bulgaria Health Insurance

The Republic of Bulgaria is located in Southeast Europe and shares its borders with Serbia, Romania, the Republic of Macedonia, Greece, Turkey and the Black Sea. Its landscape has many mountains and ranges, the highest of which is Musala in the Rila ranges. The capital city is Sofia which is the 12th largest city in Europe. The official language of Bulgaria is Bulgarian, although some locals also speak Turkish. Bulgaria was a former communist Eastern Bloc country until the political changes in the late 80’s. The population is approximately 7.5 million people although the country has a negative population growth rate due to emigration.

Bulgaria is the 15th largest country in Europe and is home to a diverse climate that varies across the country. The weather is sunny and mild along the coast of the Black Sea, continental in the north with lower temperatures and more rain, and Mediterranean near Macedonia. The summers are hot and dry while the winters are damp and cold. The terrain consists of 30 per cent plains, 41 per cent plateaus and hills and has approximately 540 rivers. Spring from April to mid June is an excellent time to visit Bulgaria. Summer and the peak tourism season for the beaches runs from mid June to September. From Christmas to mid April the tourists return again for the ski season.

Tourists are attracted to Bulgaria as it has some wonderful resorts which are much less expensive to stay in than those in other countries in Europe. The country offers coastal resorts for summer visitors and ski resorts for winter travellers. The many picturesque beaches along the Black Sea attract large numbers of tourists in summer. The country is also home to a large number of archaeological sites from all eras and great hiking tracks. The Lonely Planet ranked Bulgaria as one of the World’s Top 10 destinations in 2011.

The country has an open free market economy and is classified as an upper middle income economy, even though the incomes of its population are one the lowest in the European Union (EU). Bulgaria has the lowest personal and corporate income tax rates in the EU. The services sector in Bulgaria is the largest, followed by industry and a smaller agricultural sector (it’s a large producer of tobacco and raspberries). Some of the industries include steel production, refined petrol fuel production, iron, zinc, rock salt, marble, copper, coal extraction, electronics, vehicle components, chemicals, firearms and construction materials. Foreign investment into Bulgaria has sparked a construction boom all over the country. The country is one of the fastest growing producers of wind energy in the world.

Bulgaria Health Care and Insurance

Bulgaria has a predominantly state funded health care system. Primary health care is funded by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). In 2009, total health care expenditure was 7.4 per cent of its GDP. In 2010, the Governments budget for health care amounted to 4.2 per cent of GDP. The country has approximately 3.635 Doctors per 1,000 people and 6.49 hospital beds per 1,000 people.

Most cities and major towns in the country have a Government run hospital. These medical facilities are of an acceptable standard, however some have outdated or insufficient equipment. Most doctors speak English or German and are trained to a high level. Smaller towns and villages are serviced by clinics. For more serious medical conditions, patients will need to travel to a larger city or town or be evacuated to a nearby country. Medical evacuation is expensive so travellers should take out travel insurance that will cover the cost if required. Medical practitioners and hospital often require immediate cash payment for health care services.

The country also has private medical clinics known as “poliklinika” where the doctors are more likely to be fluent in English and German. The equipment in the private clinics is often of a better standard than in the public medical facilities. Over the counter prescription medications and basic medical supplies are available in pharmacies in Bulgaria. Some highly specialised medications may not be available so, if needed, travellers should bring sufficient quantities with them to Bulgaria. The largest chain of pharmacies in Bulgaria is Sofia Pharmacies AD.

The country’s largest medical facilities are the Pirogov Hospital and the Military Medical Academy (MMA) of Sofia. Pirogov Hospital (telephone: 915 4411) is located in the capital city of Sofia and specialises in emergency medicine and active treatment. It has 33 different departments and 795 hospital beds. MMA is a working medical facility and education centre also located in the capital city. It has several smaller clinics and branches scattered across Bulgaria. However, many expatriates residing in Bulgaria choose to go to the Vita Hospital for private medical care (telephone: 943 4398).

Travellers with a European Union Insurance Card (EUIC) will be covered for the cost of emergency health care if required in Bulgaria. EU residents will not be covered for non emergencies or emergency repatriation back to their home country. Free emergency health care is not available to travellers from outside the EU. Travellers should purchase travel insurance that covers emergency medical evacuation which can be very expensive without insurance.

Bulgaria Travel Insurance Concerns

Even though Bulgaria is part of the EU, the currency used is the Leva. Cash is key in Bulgaria as credit card use is only slowly starting to be accepted. Travellers should be cautious when using ATMs as many are fitted with skimming devices which are used to capture the card information by criminals. Also, do not engage in conversation with people who approach you at ATMs to offer assistance. Visitors should only use taxis with meters and check the pricing displayed. A marked booth can be located at the airport which can arrange metered taxis.

The people in Bulgaria are quite friendly and interested in talking to visitors. It is generally a safe country to visit. Visitors should be careful with their belongings and not leave them in parked cars. Vehicles with foreign license plates or rental car stickers are often the subject of theft. Bulgaria has many needy beggars and street children who are well accustomed at pick pocketing. Pick pocketing and purse snatching occurs in busy public transport, shopping streets and markets. Travellers should not walk around alone at night and should travel in groups when possible. Organised crime is prevalent in Bulgaria, although it doesn’t usually affect tourists, turf wars have occurred resulting in bombings and shootings. In January 2010, a journalist was assassinated for publishing a book containing details of the country’s organised crime. Travellers should avoid protests and demonstrations which may turn violent.

Emergency services in Bulgaria can be contacted by telephoning 112. If you require an ambulance you can telephone 150, however the response time may be slow. For true emergencies, tourists are best to take a taxi to the Pirogov Hospital if they are in the capital city Sofia.

Visitors to Bulgaria should ensure that childhood vaccines are up to date including, measles/mumps/rubella (MMR), diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus and polio. It is also recommended that travellers be vaccinated against hepatitis A and hepatitis B. There are many stray dogs in Bulgaria which should be avoided as they may have rabies.

Bulgaria Expat Health Insurance

If you choose to travel to Bulgaria it is recommended that you purchase travel insurance so you have access to the best medical facilities if the need arises. Those travellers who are not from the EU will not be covered for emergency medical treatment while visiting Bulgaria. At Expat Medical Insurance we can assist you with selecting a medical insurance package that best meets you needs. We work with many of the world’s leading medical insurers and can help you to select a policy that’s tailored to your requirements. Please contact us today for a no obligation free international health insurance quotation from one of our highly trained medical insurance specialists.