Introduction:
The health plans are required by law to provide the medications included in The Healthcare Basket to policyholders, subject to relevant medical indications and professional medical opinions
Chronically Ill Patients, are exempt from paying a co-payment for medications included in the Healthcare basket, on amounts exceeding the payment ceiling
If a medication is not included in the health basket, it may be obtained in other ways. For more information see the Guide for obtaining medications not included in the Healthcare basket
The list of medications included in the health care basket is a closed list, detailed in the ordinance and is updated each year
The list of medications included in the basket according to The National Health Insurance Law is detailed in the National Health Insurance Ordinance (Medications in the Healthcare Services Basket).
- The health plans are required by law to provide the medications included in the healthcare basket to policyholders, subject to relevant medical indications and professional medical opinions.
- By law, the health plans are permitted to collect a co-payment for medications included in the healthcare basket.
- The co-payments required for specific services and medications are not the same in all health plans, so one health plan may take a larger or smaller co-payment for an identical service or medication than a different health plan.
- Chronically Ill Patients, are exempt from paying a co-payment for medications included in the Healthcare basket, on amounts exceeding the payment ceiling.
- Policyholders may find out if a specific medication is included in the healthcare basket by reviewing the law or information published by the Ministry of Health.
- The list of medications included in the basket is closed and is updated every year. Any public or private entity (i.e. patients, patient organizations, doctors, companies, etc.) may submit a request to add new medications to the healthcare services basket.
Who is Eligible?
- Anyone insured according to The National Health Insurance Law.
How to Claim It?
- Obtaining medications included in the healthcare basket is subject to relevant medical indications and a professional medical opinion of the attending physician.
Medications Included in the Healthcare Basket
- Information regarding the medications included in the healthcare basket can be found on the Ministry of Health and health plans' websites.
- On these sites you can determine if a specific medication is included in the basket, what the medical indications for its use are, if it may be acquired over the counter, and if a co-payment is required.
- Information on the Ministry of Health website:
- Information on the health plan websites:
- Maccabi - Co-payments for medications
- Leumit Health Fund - Medication fees
- Clalit - Medication fees
Administrative Approval for Treatment with a Medication Included in the Healthcare Basket
- The health plans sometimes make provision of treatment with specific medications contingent on prior administrative approval (approval that is not from the attending physician).
- Due to the fact that this approval process is liable to delay provision of essential treatment, the Ministry of Health has determined that health plans requesting to make provision of medications conditional may do so according to the following conditions:
- The approval is limited to a reduced number of medications for non-urgent treatments.
- A listing of the medications is published on the health plan's website.
- The conditional administrative approval is only for the the drug treatment's initial prescription.
- A response will be provided to the patient no more than four days from the date the request was submitted by the attending physician. If a response is not received in this period of time, it will be considered to be approval of the request.
- The attending physician is responsible for making sure approval is obtained.
- Any refusal of administrative approval must be explained and sent to the patient in writing.
Supply of Medications Not in the Healthcare Basket
- The health plans are not required to supply medications not included in the healthcare services basket to policyholders, but they may choose to do so.
- Accordingly, it is possible that one health plan may supply a certain medication even if it is not included in basket, while another health plan may choose not to.
- In such a case, a policyholder desiring a specific medication not included in the basket but offered by one health plan and not another may switch to a health plan offering the desired medication.
- If a medication is not included in the health care basket, it maybe be obtained by other means. For more information see the guide to obtaining medications not included in the healthcare basket.
Submitting a Complaint regarding Non-Provision of a Medication
- Policyholders wishing to complain regarding non-provision of a medication included in the healthcare basket may submit a complaint to the National Health Insurance Law Ombudsman. For more information, see: Submitting a Complaint to the National Health Insurance Law Ombudsman.
Please Note
- The updated list of medications included in the healthcare basket is detailed in the National Health Insurance Order (Medications in the Healthcare Services Basket), 1995. In most cases, the medications appear by their generic name (according to the active ingredient). Accordingly, under the generic name, there may be a number of commercial names for the drug, even if they do not explicitly appear in the Order.
- All medications marketed in Israel must appear in the "Registry of Medical Products in Israel" (פנקס התכשירים הרפואיים בישראל) before being marketed. Registration and approval of a specification medication and its medical indications does not mean that it is included in the healthcare services basket.
- When being hospitalized, policyholders must obtain a letter of financial obligation/payment voucher (Form 17, also know as התחייבות) from their health plan, which covers all medications and services they may require during hospitalization according to the relevant medical opinions.
- If the medication is not included in the healthcare basket, it can be obtained via other means. For more information see Guide to Accessing Medications not Included in the Healthcare Basket.
Court Rulings
Aid Organizations
- For a comprehensive categorized listing of healthcare organizations offering assistance and support, click here.
Government Agencies
- The Ministry of Health
- The Ministry of Health's Health Voice Call Center: *5400
- The National Health Insurance Law Ombudsman
Laws and Regulations
- The National Health Insurance Law
- National Health Insurance Order (Medications in the Healthcare Services Basket)
- Medical Administration Circular 1/2017 from 12.01.2017 - Expansion of the healthcare services basket for 2017
- Health Plan and Additional Health Services Supervision Division Circular 3/2010 from 16.03.2010 - Prior approval processes for the provision of treatment with medications included in the healthcare basket
Additional Publications
- Medications on The Society for Patients Rights in Israel's website
- Clalit Health Services Medications Guide
- Health Insurance Guide for Medications from the website of the Capital Market Authority, Insurance and Savings
Credits
- Original information provided by the Mazor Clinical Center - Providing Legal Advice Regarding Patients Rights in Israel.
- English translation and maintenance by The Shira Pransky Project.