A unilateral step by Maccabi Healthcare Services will prevent some members of their health fund from receiving treatment at Sheba Medical Center, starting Wednesday this week, Israel Hayom reported.
Sheba is Israel's largest medical center.
Under the new rules, Maccabi members who had been scheduled for admission and treatment in Sheba or its outpatient clinics will no longer be able to be treated there. However, the new rules will apply only to those who are new to Sheba. Those who are already doing follow-up at the center, or urgent cases who are transferred by emergency rooms, will not be affected.
According to information reaching Israel Hayom, the new rules are a response to refusal to grant Maccabi a discount.
The "hospitals" category on Maccabi's website now says, "Beginning on February 9, 2022, Sheba Medical Center has been removed from the partnership agreements, and will only be open to members of the Northern and Southern districts."
For its part, Maccabi said that they purchase a billion shekels worth of services from Sheba each year, and that when they asked to "define" the risk and limit the number of patients or receive a discount, they were met with refusal. Maccabi says there are many other options for their members in central Israel (but not in Israel's north or south, which is why those patients are not included in the new rule). They also admitted that the decision was a financial one, intended to prevent harm to other services and to wait times for appointments. In addition, Maccabi said that the decision was made with the knowledge and approval of the Health Ministry.
A senior Health Ministry official told Israel Hayom, "This is an infuriating event. This is financial management done at the expense of those insured by Maccabi. The hospitals cannot afford more discounts, and if they gave discounts to Maccabi members, it might cause damage and it may lengthen lines for all of those insured in any of the health funds. This is greediness. I have no other word for it."
"If Maccabi has a cash flow issue, they should turn to the Health Ministry and request aid," he added.