Bancassurance – Application and Advantages for the Insurance Market in Bulgaria

In the world practice there is interweaving of various economic activities, including activities in the field of banking and insurance. This fact inevitably raises the question of the relationship and interaction between the insurance companies and the commercial banks. An example of this collaboration over the last three decades is the so-called “bancassurance”. Its main purpose is the possibility of distributing insurance services by the use of the banking network by the insurance companies. In this study an attempt has been made to present the practice of applying bancassurance in Bulgaria and the benefits for customers, commercial banks and insurance companies are derived

SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF HEALTH INSURANCE AS THE SECOND PILLAR OF HEALTH INSURANCE MODEL IN BULGARIA

През 2012 година бе извършен поредният етап от здравната реформа, свързан с промяна в дейността на здравноосигурителните дружества. Основна причина за тази трансформация е необходимостта от унифициране на българското застрахователно и осигурително законодателство с европейското. Дискусиите, породени в хода на нейното осъществяване, се водят и до днес. В настоящата разработка се прави опит за отговор на въпросите: доколко бе необходима реформата; доколко се припокриват като философия, съдържание и изпълнение двата вида дейности – по доброволното здравно осигуряване и здравното застраховане; в какво се изразяват потенциалът и социално-икономическите характеристики на здравното застраховане като втори стълб на здравноосигурителния модел у нас. In 2012 it was carried out another stage of health reform, connected with changes of the activity of health insurance companies. The main reason for this transformation is the need for unification of Bulgarian insurance and social security legislation with the European legislation. Discussions arising in the course of its implementation are going on. This paper attempts to answer the following questions: how much the reform was needed; how much both types of activities – voluntary health insurance and health insurance are overlapped as philosophy, content and implementation; how the potential and socioeconomic characteristics of health insurance as the second pillar of health insurance model are expressed

Microinsurance – Potential for Development in Bulgaria

According to the World Bank 1.5% of the Bulgarian population lives below $1.90 per day. For a population of Bulgaria as of 31st December 2014, comprising 7 202 198 people, this share covers approximately 108 032 people. At the same time, in relation to the implementation of social assistance activities, according to the Social Assistance Act (SAA) and the Regulation on the Implementation of the Social Assistance Act (RISAA), from the begging of 2014 until the end of December of the same year under the Regulation on the Implementation of the Social Assistance Act with one-of, targeted and monthly social benefits in the country, a total of 63 932 persons and families were supported. This fact demonstrates an alarming trend in particular that not a small number of people remain out of the coverage of the publicly organized social assistance system – approximately 44 100 people, who are not eligible for social benefits for various reasons. All this gives us reason to look for alternative solutions to improve social protection, especially to those being absolutely poor in our country. One of these alternatives, which is widespread in the world and unfortunately almost unknown in our country, is microinsurance. The latter has the potential to increase the social security of those who are in extreme poverty and to expand the activity of the insurance companies in Bulgaria