Last update - 00:00 25/12/2007
Health Minister Ben-Yizri lauds increase in health basket
By Yuval Azoulay
Health Minister Yacov Ben-Yizri expressed his satisfaction Monday over the Knesset Finance Committee's decision to increase the health basket in return for removing life-saving drugs from the health funds' supplemental insurance policies.
According Ben-Yizri, supplemental insurance creates a situation that has the potential of leading to the privatization of drugs in the health basket and the transfer of the burden to the public.
"Increasing state health services by NIS 1.4 billion in the next three years will reduce gaps in society in everything related to health and allow the weaker segments of society to receive better state health services, and not just what they can afford," he said.
The Israel Medical Association (IMA) claimed Monday that despite the additional money added for drugs by the committee, there is still not enough to include the life-saving drugs needed.
"After removing the life-saving drugs from the supplemental insurance policies, many seriously ill patients will be left with no answer," said IMA chairman Dr. Yoram Blachar.
He said there is a need to update the drug basket every year by at least 2 percent as is the practice in developed nations. According to Monday's agreed-upon arrangement, this will not be possible in coming years, said Blachar, and the budget will be much lower than needed.
The IMA had previously set up a shadow committee to monitor the panel that sets the health basket in protest at its low budget, and the IMA said it will continue its work despite the committee's decision.
Various social welfare groups, such as the Adva Center, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, and Physicians for Human Rights praised the decision, saying the compromise protects the public's right to universal health services.