Region
Eastern Europe & Central Asia
Income group
Upper middle income
Most populous city
Sofia

ACCESS DATA BY
ECONOMY OR TOPIC


or

Disclaimer: Note that the following information is not part of the score that the country receives on the Investing Across Sectors indicators. This information is provided as complementary to the data on the foreign ownership restrictions, and is based on the survey respondents’ comments and assessments. The World Bank Group does not guarantee accuracy of this information.

Sector group:
Health care & waste management
Sector:
Health care: A foreign company seeking to own and operate hospitals or clinics. Note: Excluded from the definition are ownership of pharmacies and drug distribution. It is assumed that healthcare facilities will only employ properly licensed local medical staff.
Market structure:
 
Survey respondents' answer to the following question, "Define the market structure in your economy for this sector."
Competitive market, i.e. Many firms
Regulatory license:
 
Survey respondents' answer to the following question, "If a foreign company wanted to obtain a sector-specific regulatory license (or a concession contract) to open and operate a new business in that sector, how likely would the government be to issue such a license, provided that the foreign company meets all legal and regulatory requirements?"
Likely
Name of regulatory authority
Minister of Health and Regional Center for Healthcare
Additional comments:
Legislation: (1) Medical-Treatment Facilities Act

The hospitals, emergency centers, transfusion hematology centers, dispensaries (clinics) and homes for medical-social care, as well as the doctors for out-of-hospital aid are located by the National Health Insurance Fund in accordance with the population's needs in the different regions.

The facilities for out-of-hospital aid and the hospices are subject to registration regime.
The establishment of hospitals, dispensaries (clinics), the homes for medical-social care and the dialysis centers are subject to permission regime.

Emergency centers, medical centers for transfusion hematology, clinics for stationary psychiatric aid, and homes for medical-social care where specific treatment to children is provided are only state/municipality owned.

The scope of activity of each healthcare company may include only activities related to the provision of healthcare. The name of the company must indicate in full the type of healthcare facility that it is. This means that the hospital or the clinic may not undertake commercial activities.

The manager or the executive director of a hospital or a clinic may be only an individual having a medical educational degree 'master' or an individual having economical or management educational degree 'master' and recognized specialization in the fields of the medical informatics, health management or economics of healthcare.

There are foreign firms currently operating in this sector
In the last few years the number of private clinics has increased.

Emergency centers, medical centers for transfusion hematology, clinics for stationary psychiatric aid, and homes for medical-social care where specific treatment to children is provided are only state/municipality owned.
Min: 12 weeks Max: 14 weeks The facilities for out-of-hospital aid and the hospices are subject to registration with a Regional Center for Healthcare. The establishment of hospitals, dispensaries (clinics), the homes for medical-social care and the dialysis centers are subject to permit issued by the Minister of Health.