Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #108187

Dana Schwartz-Ilan, Health Systems Management, Faculty for Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University, PoB 653, Beer Sheva, 84105, Israel, 972-8-6477421, danasc@bgumail.bgu.ac.il, Shifra Shvarts, PhD, Ben Gurion University, Health Systems Management, Faculty for Health Sciences, Beer Sheva, 84105, Israel, Revital Gross, PhD, School of Social Work, Bar-Ilan University, 52900, Ramat Gan, 52900, Israel, and Avishay Goldberg, PhD, Department of Health Systems Management, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O.Box 653, Beer-Sheva, 84105, Israel.

Background: In January 1995 Israel enacted a National mandatory Health Insurance Law. The legislation was based on the principle of "Single payer income-based graduated health tax" – about 4% of a person's wages, and receipt of medical care according to need. One of the founding principles of the national health insurance law was equality – equal entitlement to services based on a national basket of basic services for all.

Objectives: To examine to what extent the universal law and uniform basket of services provide the needs of diverse ethnic and cultural populations that comprise the Israeli society.

Methodology: Qualitative research based on a broad survey of the literature where the primary research tool was in-depth interviews carried out in Israel among key people in the health system

Findings: The Israeli national health insurance law does not provide solutions for special populations such as Bedouin and Ethiopian communities. While these populations, enjoy equality within the law and receive a uniform basket of services that did not exist prior to legislation, at the same time, the universal legislation undermines address of their special needs.

Conclusions: One of the primary goals of a national health insurance law in Israel was equality. Ten years after legislation, it is clear that the law did not fully achieve its goals and the present health system does not make this possible. Diverse populations in Israel need to seek answers to their unique needs in other frameworks.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand how a pluralistic society grapples with issues of equality under a national health insurance law.
• To become familiar with the health insurance system in Israel prior to and following legislation of the national health insurance law.
• To identify the special and universal facets of Israel’s national health insurance law.

Keywords: Health Insurance, Equal Access

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.