OECD publishes first health system review of Bulgaria, confirms NHIS operational

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published its first comprehensive health system review of Bulgaria on 30 March 2026, with the Bulgarian delegation led by Health Minister Silvi Kirilov presenting to the OECD Health Committee in Paris. The review documents the National Health Information System (NHIS) — a unified electronic health record portal with electronic prescriptions and electronic referrals, built on a 2020 health information portal foundation, covering all healthcare professionals across settings. For Bulgaria's D3 patient access score, this is the first authoritative external confirmation that the infrastructure is operational rather than aspirational. The review also accelerates Bulgaria's OECD accession path, which historically pulls along further investment in EHDS-aligned reforms.