All Bulgarian students, once enrolled in AUBG, get insured through the National Health Insurance Fund. The insurance is valid for the whole course of their studies, unless the student takes a leave of absence. At the beginning of their study, all new Bulgarian AUBG students must fill in a declaration stating that they are under 26 years of age and do not have their own income. If they do not meet that criteria, the health insurance installments will be their own responsibility.

In order to avoid interruption of their health insurance rights to medical services, students have to cover the insurance instalments for the months between their high school graduation and the beginning of their university studies.

The above-mentioned law requires all Bulgarian citizens to have a general practitioner (GP). When making their first GP selection and enrolling, the patients receive a health insurance book which is their pass to the covered medical services. When someone changes their GP, they have to present it to the new GP for registration of the change. In order to guarantee easier access to medical services, AUBG recommends that Bulgarian students select a GP in Blagoevgrad for the period of their education.

There is a licensed General Practitioner’s practice at the AUBG Health & Well-being Center run by Dr. Ventsislav Daskalov (Health & Well-being Center Director). Bulgarian students may choose to sign up with him. In accordance with Bulgarian law, the practice provides a full range of services covered by the NHIF to the students who have registered with his GP practice. All others may be served on-site, but cannot use referrals to laboratories, specialists, and/or hospitals.

The services at the Health & Well-being Center are free for AUBG students, with the exception of some consumables.

Outside the AUBG Health & Well-being Center, students can use the services of the local health facilities, both state and private.

All students can use the services of more than 60 dentist practices in Blagoevgrad. Payment for the services is the student's responsibility and will be covered according to the respective regulations of the Health Insurance Law and the terms of the health insurance contract between the National Health Insurance Fund and the dentist providing the dental service. According to the current agreement, the state health insurance partially covers a dental exam, treatment of non-complicated tooth decay, a tooth filling, and tooth extraction, including local anesthesia.

According to the AUBG Policies & Procedures and the American College Health Association guidelines for student health, AUBG provides an appropriate medical insurance plan for our international students. It is contracted with a Bulgarian insurance company and covers the expenses for acute and chronic illnesses, accidents, basic dental services, and repatriation. This medical insurance is valid only in Bulgaria, with a period of coverage for one semester (four months) or a full academic year (nine months).

The approximate premium for academic year is 50 Euro per semester. This amount is subject to change. It will be charged to each student’s account and it will be their own responsibility to pay it.

The AUBG Health & Well-Being Center offers complimentary services to all students. However, it is necessary for all students to have insurance to cover expenses incurred outside the Health Center.

This is why:

All international students who are EU citizens may use the EU health insurance card (HIC) for medical service coverage. However, we recommend that they enroll in our insurance plan since the EU HIC grants access to emergency services at no cost, but is limited in coverage. The AUBG health insurance plan provides broader coverage for various medical needs beyond emergency services.

All international students who are non-EU citizens are required to enroll in the AUBG Health Insurance Plan. This comprehensive plan includes coverage for acute and chronic illnesses, emergency dental care up to a certain amount, and repatriation. Additionally, it fulfills the legal requirements for international visitor health insurance in Bulgaria. The cost of this insurance is around 50 Euro per semester, which will be automatically deducted from the student’s account.

All international students with double citizenship, one of which is Bulgarian, will be covered by the NHIF, as it is by the law. However, they still need to cover the missed instalments of the state insurance in order to get real access to the covered services.

All visiting students for one semester may use their own health insurance plan if it covers the expenses in Bulgaria at least to the same level the AUBG health insurance plan does. They have to present proof of such insurance during their check-in procedure at the Health & Well-being Center. In this case, the students will be responsible for all claim procedures to comply with their insurance plan.

Keep in mind that by far, not all Bulgarian health facilities can provide services contracted with foreign health insurance companies. We recommend that all AUBG students use the university health insurance plan for easier access to health services in Bulgaria.

Students can use the services in many partner health facilities (that have a contract with the insurance company) where they will not pay in cash.

In all other non-partner health facilities, students have to pay in cash for the services they receive. After submitting all required medical documents at the Health & Well-being Center or one of the insurance company’s offices, listed below, the insurance company will reimburse their medical expenses.

Cash-free procedure

When cash-free service is used in a health facility that has a contract with the insurance company, all documents that might be required are:

Medical summaries/reports and/or referral notes from the specialist(s), lab tests, and prescriptions for medicines prescribed from a physician in relation to the disease and all invoices for the prescribed medicines and/or tests paid separately in cash, if any.

Cash payment procedure

When non-partner health facilities are used, the documents required for reimbursement are:

Submit all documents that apply to your case to reimburse expenses covered by your health insurance.

Confidentiality is a cornerstone of counseling sessions. We believe counseling is most effective when a student can be direct and honest with a counselor without fear that personal information will be divulged. Confidentiality is also an ethical and legal requirement.

We keep separate records from other administrative offices on campus. We do not release any information about a student without that student’s written permission. There are, however, legal and ethical limits to confidentiality.

In life-threatening situations, the duty to protect supersedes the right to confidentiality and we may call for additional help, without permission, to protect you or someone else from imminent danger.

The Counseling Center provides counseling, educational, and developmental services to the university community. The center is committed to increasing awareness and knowledge of differences so that respectful human interactions and effective interconnections can occur.

Our goal is for all AUBG students, faculty, and staff to be able to access our services and receive acceptance regardless of culture, gender, generation, ethnicity, lifestyle, spirituality, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, national origin, language, or physical and mental disabilities.

Many students visit the Counseling Center because they want to learn more about themselves as they integrate into the university community. Some students come because they want to improve their studies or are unsure about their major. Others come because they have difficult decisions to make, or are dealing with an unhappy turn of events in their lives. Perhaps they have a general feeling that they could be getting more out of life, or they want to explore their relationships with people and world around them.

Students also come for counseling because they feel something is bothering them but they do not know what it is and they do not know how to talk about it. New and returning students, men and women, culturally diverse students, and students of differing sexual orientation, among others, use the Counseling Center. It would be unusual to have a student who at some time did not experience challenges in adapting to new situations and changes taking place.

Counseling services are provided free of charge to all students. When appropriate, the staff refers students to other campus offices as well as to other human services agencies in the country.

Counseling may be helpful if you feel concerned about any of the following:

Case management services offer a holistic assessment of the client’s individual health needs with an emphasis on enhancing overall health and well-being. The role of case management is:

Stressful events, emotional upsets, and emergency situations are part of life. A crisis does not necessarily follow a traumatic event, nor does it imply or inevitably lead to an emotional or mental breakdown. Something that is a crisis for one person may not be a crisis for another. Crisis intervention is a short-term helping process. It focuses on the resolution of the immediate problem using available resources.

Personal counseling allows the student to talk with a caring professional on a one-on-one basis. This therapeutic relationship can assist the student in solving their current problems and conflicts, while exploring their beliefs and values, and taking into consideration developmental issues associated with college life. The ultimate goal is to help the student find a greater sense of balance and satisfaction in their personal life.

Personal counseling allows the student to talk with a caring professional on a one-on-one basis. This therapeutic relationship can assist the student in solving their current problems and conflicts, while exploring their beliefs and values, and taking into consideration developmental issues associated with college life. The ultimate goal is to help the student find a greater sense of balance and satisfaction in their personal life.

The focus of the group or workshop is chosen by the needs of the college community as determined by Counseling Center professionals, and students showing interest in a particular topic.

The Peer Educators are AUBG students who are student liaisons between the Counseling Center and the student body. They are involved with marketing and outreach activities for the Counseling Center.

If the needs of the student are outside the scope of our center, we will provide referral resources within the institution and the local community as needed. If you are concerned about a friend please make an appointment to speak with a professional or one of the peer educators.

This group will allow international students to share and explore their experiences of being a student abroad. Topics will include: homesickness, interpersonal relationships, language, educational responsibilities and community resources.

This group is designed to provide members with a supportive environment for personal and interpersonal development and growth. Group members come from diverse backgrounds and are invited to discuss concerns such as self-esteem, interpersonal relationships, self-knowledge, and social skills. We will use creative activities and role plays to enhance self-knowledge, communication, problem-solving, and general coping skills.

This group is designed to help students cope with and reduce feelings of anger. Participants learn how to identify sources of anger and evaluate how it affects their lives and relationships.

In this group the participants will be given tools which help to explore the conditions that affect that affect their own learning process and influence their achievements.

This is an open group that will be offered on a weekly basis during peak stress times in the semester. The group includes relaxation techniques and creative activities to reduce the intensity of stress.