MK Lipman, Nefesh B'Nefesh push bill to boost aliya
Legislation would allow Israelis with non-Israeli family to receive medical insurance upon return to Israel.
By LAHAV HARKOVNew immigrants pose upon arrival 370(photo credit: Courtesy of Nefesh B'Nefesh)
Israelis moving back to the country with families making aliya would not have to wait to receive government-subsidized medical care, according to a bill proposed by MK Dov Lipman (Yesh Atid) on Sunday.Lipman, the first American-born MK in decades, has been consulting with organizations that encourage aliya and help new immigrants, and wrote the bill after Nefesh B’Nefesh informed him of an obstacle to aliya.According to the current law, returning citizens do not receive government-subsidized medical care for their first six months in the country in order to ensure that they are making a permanent move as opposed to an extended visit.The six-month wait for medical insurance creates a financial challenge, making it difficult to make aliya for families in which one parent or spouse is Israeli but the other has yet to receive citizenship, Lipman explained.The bill would allow Israelis returning with a non-Israeli spouse and/or children to receive medical care immediately.The legislation has support from all coalition parties, as well as Labor and Shas.“This minor change to the law could have major ramifications for increasing aliya,” Lipman said.“I view this as the first of many reforms, which are necessary to inspire more aliya, and look forward to its quick passage.”
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