"The recent development of the healthcare system in Bulgaria has shown a clear need for a transparent and fair mechanism defining reimbursement prices in the sector. The rigidity of the healthcare system, as well as the lack of comprehensive data, has obstructed that process and posed the necessity of a substantive public discussion of the issues, arising from current payment mechanisms. This paper presents the via dolorosa from the data collection, the analytical methods and the sensitivity analysis to key results of an expert research study carried out by the Ministry of Finance on the basis of an initial empirical analysis of reimbursement policies for publicly-provided healthcare services in Bulgaria (conducted during autumn 2010). The revitalisation of the healthcare system that followed is underlined, as are the remarkable results with respect to the increase in equity under strict budgetary restrictions. "

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