The National Health Service (NHS) is the operating direct administrative institution subordinate to Ministry of Health. It was established on 1st November 2011.
NHS took over the functions formerly carried out by The Centre of Health Economics and Health Payment Center.
The aim of the NHS is to:
- implement State policy for availability of health care services,
- administrate the State budgetary funds prescribed for health care,
- implement State policy in the planning of health care services,
- ensure rational and the most effective use of State budget,
- implement the e-Health programme according to the policy decided by the State.
The scope of activities and functions of the NHS is to:
- administrate the State budgetary funds prescribed for health care and in accordance with the concluded agreements to settle accounts for the provided health care services, as well as the medication and medical equipment prescribed for outpatient treatment;
- supervise the expenditures of State budgetary funds in medical institutions and pharmacies submitted to the administration of the National Health Service;
- analyze the financial and quantity indices of health care services, to make prognoses concerning the volume of health care services, as well as to evaluate the necessity of these services;
- inform the society about the available health care services and the procedure according to which the latter can be received, as well as advise the country's residents on their rights while receiving health care services;
- organize and carry out the State centralized purchases of medications and medical equipment in the field of health care, which are stipulated in the normative acts;
- provide with the implementation of the programme on timely detection of cancer;
- in the regression procedure to recover the financial means for course of treatment for persons, provided that the present course of treatment is the consequence of an unlawful activity, inactivity or criminal offence;
- ensure the execution of the international liabilities in the implementation of the availability of health care services, as well as in the administration of the State budgetary funds prescribed for health care;
- determine the health care services funded from the State budget and calculate their tariffs;
- develop, maintain and update the list of State reimbursed medicine, that is based on the principles of health economics;
- develop health care financing models and to determine types of health care services funded from the State budget;
- approve medical technologies and register them, to create and maintain the medical technology accounting and database;
- develop and evaluate clinical guidelines, as well as ensure the implementation of methodological guidance;
- develop guideliness of rational pharmacotherapy;
- administer the Medical Treatment Risk Fund;
- cooperate with foreign and international institutions, as well as to exchange information in the field related to the service;
- implement the e-Health programme according to the policy decided by the State (now carrying several co-funded projects by ERDF (European Regional Development Fund): electronic health record; e-booking; e-prescription etc.