Israeli Drug Discount Plan For Pensioners

The Labour and Social Affairs Com-mittee of Israel's Knesset has app-roved a plan requiring all sick funds to give discounts for prescription copayments to women aged over 60 and men over 65. It is also understood that the Ministry of Health plans to unify the funds' methods of copayment; the General Sick Fund's is based on volume of drugs dispensed, while most other funds use a percentage of cost method, usually 10%.

The government has also approved reimbursement of Betaseron (beta-interferon) for multiple sclerosis patients, involving special Treasury funding arrangements for the funds of about NIS20 million ($6.3 million). The MoH has also said that MS patients will pay the monthly copayment of NIS130 ($41.37), which equals the monthly copayment ceiling which GSF members pay for medicines in general.