Over 1 million health insured patients visit their GP for prophylactic medical examination

A total of 1,032,728 health insured Bulgarians visit GPs for prophylactic medical examination during the first six months of the year, according to the data of NHIF (National Health Insurance Fund), which was posted yesterday on the NHIF website. The institution reminded that every health insured person is entitled to one prophylactic medical check-up per annum. For the same period last year, the patients who visited their personal GPs numbered 1,043, 813 people.

For the first time this year, the PSA (prostate specific antigen) screening test for prostate cancer in men over 50 years of age was introduced along with the mammographic screening for breast cancer of women over 50 years of age, explained the Health Insurance Fund. The NHIF data indicated that the number of examinations increased sharply. For the first six months of the year, the conducted mammographic screening tests totalled 89,164. For the same period of 2010, they reached only 28,596. The PSA screening tests for prostate cancer and prevention carried out by the end of June amounted to 108,217, while for the same period last year, they totalled only 8, 800.

The Health Insurance Fund also reminded that the prophylactic medical examinations were compulsory for all Bulgarian citizens and they might lose their rights for medical treatment for a month next year, if by the end of 2011, they are not examined by their personal GPs. The penalties for failing to appear for the medical examination amount to BGN 50 -100, while in case of a second omission they stand at BGN 100 - 200.

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