Prof. Ze'ev Rotstein appointed chairman of Health Basket Committee

Rotstein will succeed Prof. Ronni Gamzu, director-general of Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and former director-general of the Health Ministry.

By EYTAN HALON
Hadassah Medical Center director-general Prof. Zeev Rotstein (photo credit: AVI HAYOUN)
Hadassah Medical Center director-general Prof. Zeev Rotstein
(photo credit: AVI HAYOUN)
Hadassah-University Medical Center director-general Prof. Ze’ev Rotstein has been appointed as the new chairman of the Health Basket Committee for 2020, Deputy Health Minister Ya’acov Litzman announced at the Israel Conference on Medicine on Tuesday.
Established by the 1994 National Health Insurance Law, the state-subsidized health basket encompasses the entire range of medical services, drugs, equipment and devices that insured, permanent residents of Israel have a right to receive. The decisions are subject to professional medical opinion.
Annual additions to the basket made by the committee are limited by the budget allocated by the treasury.
Rotstein will succeed Prof. Ronni Gamzu, director-general of Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv and former director-general of the Health Ministry.
“I was surprised and excited by the announcement,” Rotstein said.
“This is one of the most important positions in the Israeli health system, and I will assume full responsibility and act for the public good,” he said.
In January, the Health Basket Committee announced the addition of 107 medical technologies worth NIS 460 million to the health basket.
Among the technologies added for 2019 were multiple treatments for those suffering from solid tumors and hematologic cancers.
This included a breakthrough treatment involving CAR-T genetic engineering for lymphoma patients and children with leukemia.