According to a Bloomberg report, the Israeli healthcare system ranks second globally. The provision of medical services in Israel is controlled by the Ministry of Health (Misrad Ha-Briut) and is regulated by the 1995 National Health Insurance Law. The right to medical assistance is one of the fundamental and inalienable rights of every citizen of Israel.
Structure of Israeli Healthcare
Healthcare in Israel is based on a network of public and private medical institutions: hospitals, medical centers, small clinics, laboratories, consulting offices, and polyclinics. Each citizen of Israel is attached to one of four "health funds" — organizations that collaborate with public clinics and private specialists:
- Clalit: The oldest and largest fund, operating since 1911 and serving more than half of the population.
- Leumit: Recently, this fund has attracted highly qualified private practice specialists and offers its clients the best additional insurance program in the country.
- Maccabi: Engages the most qualified doctors.
- Meuhedet: This fund is known as the "instant service" fund and is also the most affordable regarding service costs.
Israelis choose their health fund based on convenience: distance to the nearest clinic, availability of specific specialists, etc. Patients have the right to change their funds annually.
In Israel, there is the concept of a "health basket" — a set of mandatory medical services provided under national insurance. The government approves the basket, which is uniform across all health funds, so the services are generally the same. The standard set includes consultations, examinations, visits, diagnostics, outpatient treatment, analyses, and hospitalization.
Hospitals and Clinics in Israel
Medical facilities in Israel may belong to the state, municipalities, private individuals, or public organizations. Healthcare is the second most significant expenditure in the state budget. Funds are allocated to equip public medical institutions and improve the doctors' qualifications there. Israeli public medical institutions are focused on the right to equal medical treatment for all patients. However, patients can only choose their treating doctor or ward during hospitalization, and medical services are provided only in the order of arrival.
Many leading surgeons in public hospitals also operate in private clinics, so those who do not wish to wait their turn at a public medical institution or want to see a specific doctor can use additional medical insurance or pay for treatment themselves.
Advantages of Israeli Medicine
For many years, Israel has confidently held one of the leading positions in medical services. Thousands of patients from abroad, including countries like Switzerland, Germany, and the USA, annually come to Israeli clinics. They are attracted by the democratic pricing policy — by American and Western European standards, diagnostics and treatment in Israeli medical centers are, on average, a third cheaper. Another important advantage is the highest quality of services. In many areas, Israeli medicine is recognized as the best in the world, as evidenced by the following statistical data:
- The success rate of cancer treatment exceeds 80%;
- The success rate of neurosurgical operations is over 95%;
- 29 clinics in the country have JCI accreditation, confirming the first-class level of patient care (Israel is also a world leader by this criterion);
- The life expectancy in Israel is the highest in the world, averaging 82.9 years, while the mortality rate from diseases is one of the lowest.
Israeli clinics also stand out for their first-class technical equipment and highly professional medical personnel. According to medical statistics, there are about 370 doctors per 100,000 population here, much more than in European countries and the United States. Israeli doctors are always among the first in the world to implement advanced diagnostic and therapeutic techniques, allowing them to achieve excellent results in treating a wide range of diseases and saving the lives of even patients considered "hopeless" in their home countries.
About 80% of patients from abroad come to Israel for cancer treatment. In this field of medicine, specialists from Israeli clinics are truly unparalleled. Thanks to state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment and vast practical experience, they can detect malignant tumors even at the earliest stages of development, allowing them to treat them quickly and with minimal risk of recurrence. Popular among medical tourists are also areas such as cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery, neurology, orthopedics, gastroenterology, gynecology and IVF, urology, etc.
In terms of clinical research, Israel is the absolute leader not only in the Middle East but also beyond. Israeli science has made impressive achievements in many areas of medicine. The country ranks first in the world in terms of the number of biotechnological companies per capita, and most of the world's largest corporations, such as Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Roche, Siemens, and AbbVie, have research centers in Israel.
Problems of the Israeli Healthcare System
Despite the obvious and indisputable advantages, there are also downsides to Israeli medicine.
One of the key problems is the overcrowding of hospitals and clinics. This is due to several factors, including high demand for medical services and limited medical facilities, leading to system overload. Patients often face the necessity of long waits in queues for appointments with specialists or for diagnostic procedures, which can critically affect the timeliness and quality of treatment.
Additionally, the system for scheduling medical procedures can be complex and inefficient. In many cases, patients must wait several months to get an appointment with the desired specialist or undergo the necessary examination. This is especially critical for those in need of urgent medical help.
In response to these problems, services such as EasyMed have emerged, offering effective solutions for reducing waiting times and simplifying scheduling medical procedures. EasyMed specializes in rapidly scheduling urgent queues for specialists and diagnostic examinations. The service works directly with leading clinics, allowing patients to receive medical help quickly, bypassing long queues. This significantly simplifies the treatment process and will enable it to start promptly, which is especially important in everyday matters. With the help of EasyMed, patients can quickly access the necessary medical services and significantly save time spent searching for suitable clinics and waiting in line. Such services significantly improve the accessibility and quality of medical care in Israel.
Another serious problem in Israeli medicine is the brain drain, especially among medical specialists. Many highly qualified doctors and medical researchers prefer to leave Israel for better working conditions and higher salaries abroad. Statistics show that about 10% of Israeli doctors work in other developed countries, exacerbating the shortage of qualified specialists. This leads to an increased workload on the remaining medical staff and reduces the quality of medical services for patients.
In addition, inequality in access to medical services is a significant problem. Residents of remote areas, such as the Negev and Galilee, often face limited access to specialists and medical institutions. This leads to residents of these areas having to travel long distances to receive specialized medical help.
An additional problem is funding. Although Israel spends about 7.5% of its GDP on healthcare, comparable to many developed countries, pressure on the system is growing due to the increasing population and aging society. This requires the government to further invest in infrastructure and resources to maintain a high level of medical service.
Conclusion
Despite its numerous achievements and high positions in global rankings, the Israeli healthcare system faces several serious challenges. However, innovative solutions such as the EasyMed service are actively developed in the country, which facilitates the treatment and diagnosis process and enhances the accessibility of medical services.
Substantial funding and investments in medical infrastructure, as well as strategies for the return of qualified specialists, can be key to solving the shortage of medical personnel and improving service quality. Strengthening support for remote and underprivileged areas and using modern technologies such as telemedicine can also significantly improve the situation.
Despite existing difficulties, the Israeli healthcare system continues to develop, actively introducing innovations and offering effective solutions for current challenges.