Health Basket may be delayed to March due to coronavirus

This year's discussions have been delayed both due to the coronavirus, which has taken much of the ministry's resources.

JUNE 19, 2020 01:29

Additions are announced to the state-subsidized health basket (photo credit: HEALTH MINISTRY) — Additions are announced to the state-subsidized health basket

(photo credit: HEALTH MINISTRY)

Discussions about the Health Basket may be delayed due to the coronavirus crisis, Israel Hayom reported.

The idea was brought before the new Director General of the Health Ministry Chezy Levy as well as the Health Ministry's Technology Manager, and will be presented to Health Minister Yuli Edelstein who has stated that the ministry has yet to reach a decision on the matter.

This year's discussions have been delayed both due to the coronavirus, which has taken much of the ministry's resources, as well as the fact that the state's budget has not yet been approved - meaning that there's no designated budget for the health basket either. This means people who require medication from the Health Basket will receive it in May at the earliest.

The Health Ministry stated that while last year the basket was approved last minute despite not having an approved budget, this year they have decided to take the proper steps, as well as properly launch a pilot with patients who will write their opinions on the basket to the committee in charge of putting it together, which requires the extra time. There are also claims that the extra time will allow the committee to negotiate better prices for the medicine.

"With some effort, quick work and and shortening the discussion times, it's possible for the discussion to start at the end of October, while keeping the existing time frames," said Roni Gamzo, the CEO of Ichilov Hospital and the one in charge of the committee in 2019. "I think it's wrong to delay such a thing. It's like saying that due to the coronavirus we should delay the school year from September to January, or that we'll stop the handicap's payments, or not do other things which will cause damage to patients, like transplants,"

"The idea to delay the health basket committee decision by three months is terrible news to Israeli patients and lung cancer patients in particular." Said Dr. Shani Sheila, CEO of the Israeli Lung Cancer Foundation. "A three month delay in giving access to Oncological treatment is a death sentence for some patients."

"Chronically ill patients have been terribly neglected this year." Said Shmulik Ben Yaakov, CEO of the patients rights foundation. "I'm bothered by the fact that instead of the health system making an effort to find a solution to these patients, it casts them aside"

Some 303 people have died from coronavirus in Israel. The number of serious cases stands at 38, including 28 who are intubated.

In total, more than 20,000 Israelis have contracted coronavirus since February.