"National health insurance under this law shall be founded on principles of justice, equality and mutual assistance." - The Israeli Basic Law
Principles of the National Health Insurance Law
1.
Eligibility for every resident – Every resident of Israel is entitled to health services under the National Health Insurance Law.
2. No
connection between payment and service – A resident pays for health insurance according to his/her means and is treated according to his/her needs. The state is responsible for providing funding, while the health plan in which the insured is registered is responsible for providing services.
3.
Choice of a plan and limitations
– Every resident is entitled to be registered as a member of a health plan of his/her choosing, without conditions or limitations due to age or state of health.
4.
Provision of the service – The plan is responsible for providing all of the services included in the basket of health services, based on medical discretion, with reasonable quality, within a reasonable amount of time, and within a reasonable distance of the patient's home.
5.
Maintaining dignity and privacy
– Every insured individual is entitled to receive health services while maintaining his/her dignity, privacy and medical confidentiality.
6.
Switching between plans
– Every resident is entitled to switch from one health plan to another.
7.
Selection of service providers
– Every insured individual is entitled to choose service providers, such as doctors, caregivers, hospitals and institutes, from a list of service providers who are affiliated with the health plan to which he/she belongs and according to the arrangements for selecting service providers as periodically published by the plan.
8.
Complaints by the insured – Every insured individual is entitled to submit a complaint to the individual in charge of public inquiries at the treating medical institution, to the individual responsible for investigating members' complaints at the health plan in which he is a member, or to the ombudsman in the Ministry of Health under the National Health Insurance Law.
9.
Court petition – Every insured individual is entitled to submit a claim to the Regional Labor Court.
Translated by The Shira Pransky Project