Israeli Policy On Prescription Copayments

Israel's National Health Insurance Law states that the sick funds are allowed to charge their members a participation fee when receiving medications, and are allowed to raise the level of copayment according to the Fund's rules and conditions that were operative as of January 1, 1994.

In addition, with effect from January 1 1995, the NHIL states that in increasing copayments, the sick funds are now required to report to the Ministry of Health and to obtain permission to do so. In noting that the sick funds raised their charges (by 20%-25%) just prior to and in preparation for the law's introduction, the MoH has said that within two years it will fix uniform rules regarding all the Sick Funds, including the charging of copayments from members.

Health Spending Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics has published findings from comparative data on national expenditure on health and its share of the Gross Domestic Product. Data show that in the years 1990-91, national expenditure on health in Israel reached 7.6% of GDP, similar to Norway and Ireland, but lower than the USA's 12.9% and the 8%-10% seen in Canada, France, Germany and the Netherlands, though higher than in the UK (6.4%) and in Greece (5.3%).