Nursing Care Reform in Israel
On November 20, 2017 the Israeli Minister of Health together with the Minister of Finance announced a reform in the Nursing Care Reimbursement and Insurance in Israel.
No legislation has been enacted to date, however, it is expected that the Reform will be approved by the Israeli parliament during January 2018, and implemented gradually thereafter.
The reform deals with three major aspects – Reimbursement, Allowances for elderly people, and Group Nursing Care Insurance as follows:
Reimbursement/ Health Maintenance Organizations, known as “Kupot Holim” (“HMOs”):
• Increased budgets to HMOs will be for the purpose of providing care at patients’ homes in order to minimize deterioration and hospitalization of these patients.
• HMOs and the national security insurance will be incentivized to cooperate in order to provide better patient care.
• Reduction of bureaucracy with respect to the ‘means test’ (which is used to determine reimbursement).
Allowances for elderly people:
• Increase in the allowances paid by national security insurance for elderly people that are classified as requiring ‘nursing care’.
• Increase in the number of classifications of elderly patients entitled to nursing care reimbursement.
• Improvement of training of nursing caregivers and increase of related payments.
Group Nursing Care Insurance
Group Nursing Care Insurance will be cancelled by yearend 2017. However, those over the age of 60, will be entitled to join the existing nursing care insurance coverages provided by the HMOs, without any waiting period, or a requirement for underwriting.
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For additional information please contact your GKH attorney or one of the following Adv. Hili Cohen, partner and head of the Life Sciences department [Hili@gkh-law.com], Adv. Tami Fishman [Tamif@gkh-law.com], or Adv. Roie Kaner [Roiek@gkh-law.com], associates in the Life Sciences department.
