New health basket committee has a NIS 500 million 2018 budget
Dr. Osnat Luxenburg, head of the ministry’s department of medical technologies, will again serve as coordinator of the committee.
By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICHUpdated: SEPTEMBER 26, 2017 17:42Ichilov hospital and Sourasky Medical Centre in Tel Aviv.(photo credit: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/GELLERJ)
The Health Ministry announced on Tuesday the names of the members of the public health basket committee for 2018. The committee, chaired by Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center director-general Prof. Ronni Gamzu, will have NIS 500 million for new spending, including NIS 40m. for basic dental care for children, at its disposal. Gamzu until 2014 director-general of the ministry.The committee must recommend by the end of December what drugs and other medical technologies to include in the basket so the four public health funds can provide them to members with relevant conditions.Dr. Osnat Luxenburg, head of the ministry’s department of medical technologies, will again serve as coordinator of the committee.This year more than 700 applications for technologies were submitted to the committee. The committee will hold the first meeting at the ministry on Thursday.These are the members of this year’s committee:Prof. Yair Birnbaum, chief physician of Clalit Health Services; Dr. Einat Birk, director of the heart institute, Schneider Children’s Hospital; judge Hila Gerstel, retired president of the Central District Court in Lod; Dr. Ziad Dabbour, an expert in pharmacology and medical sciences; Rabbi Menahem Havlin, a member of the board of the Ma’ayanei Hayeshua Medical Center; Orna Hozman-Bechor, chairman of Ashdod Port; Dr. Gershon Horowitz, dentist; Prof. Shlomo Vinker, chairman of the Society of Family Physicians and head of the medical division of Leumit Health Services; Prof. Ruth Landau, a member of the National Council for Bioethics of the Health and Justice ministries and formerly of the School of Social Work at the Hebrew University; Prof. Idit Matot, chief of anesthesiology, intensive care and pain at Sourasky; Prof. Avi Porat, chief physician of Maccabi Health Services; Vadim Ferman, vice president for pricing and budgeting at the Health Ministry; Dr. David Mosinson, deputy head of medicine at Meuhedet Health Services; attorney Ya’acov Quint, legal adviser of the Israel Lands Authority; Ran Ridnik, health liaison of the Finance Ministry’s budget division; Uri Sheinin, coordinator of the employment team of the Treasury’s budget division; and Prof. Amos Toren, head of pediatric hematology at Sheba Medical Center. All members are unpaid volunteers.