German approves dismissal of health insurance head

Asher Elhayany, accused of making unapproved expenditures, calls ministry’s hearing ‘erroneous, improper, illegal.’

By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
ASHER ELHAYANY 311 (photo credit: Meir Medical Center)
ASHER ELHAYANY 311
(photo credit: Meir Medical Center)
Health Minister Yael German decided on Wednesday night to approve the recent decision by the Kupat Holim Meuhedet board of directors to dismiss its director-general, Prof. Asher Elhayany.
German did not say if she believed Elhayany was guilty or not of the claims made by the board against him.
German said that the decision, “taken out of concern for the 1.1 million members” of the country’s third-largest health insurer, was very difficult and complicated to make.
The Meuhedet board, headed by haredi Rabbi Yerahmiel Boyer, was left in place a few years ago after the State Comptroller severely criticized the health fund’s management.
His report led to the dismissal of most senior administrators, but not of board members, who were close to former deputy health-minister and current United Torah Judaism MK Ya’acov Litzman.
Elhayany said through a spokesman on Wednesday night that the ministry’s hearing on the case was “erroneous, improper and illegal. I am considering taking legal steps against this irrational decision.”
The board had in recent months claimed Elhayany – a family physician and a former successful director-general of Clalit Health Services’ Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba – made appointments and expenditures they had not approved.
German and ministry director-general Prof.
Ronni Gamzu, met with Elhayany on Wednesday to inform him of their decision.
They said a new director-general was needed to “restore the faith of members” and to restore its stability.
In addition, a supervising accountant will be appointed to rearrange the health fund’s structure, German said.
Meuhedet said it would hold an emergency meeting late on Wednesday to choose an acting director-general.


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