 Bulgaria has a universal healthcare system financed by taxes and contributions . The National Health Insurance Fund ( <unk> ) pays a gradually increasing portion of the costs of primary healthcare . Projected healthcare expenditures for 2013 amount to 4 @.@ 1 per cent of GDP . The number of doctors is above the EU average with 181 physicians per 100 @,@ 000 people , but distribution by fields of practice is uneven , there is a severe shortage of nurses and other medical personnel , and the quality of most medical facilities is poor . Personnel shortages in some fields are so severe that patients resort to seeking treatment in neighboring countries . Bulgaria ranks 113th globally by average life expectancy , which stands at 73 @.@ 6 years for both genders . The primary causes of death are similar to those in other industrialised countries , mainly cardiovascular diseases , neoplasms and respiratory diseases . 
