The Knesset Health Committee on Tuesday passed a bill into law that will prohibit Magen David Adom from charging anyone who receives service but is not transported to a hospital. This includes anyone refusing transport as well.
If a person is treated and released on the scene, and there is no need for transport, there will be a charge, albeit reduced as compared to one paying for treatment and transport.
MDA will also be entitled to offer discounts for non-911 services, such as prearranged transports and other non urgent situations. There is also an ability to give discounts in the case of financial hardship.
The daily HaMevaser reports that the question being asked is if other EMS providers will be permitted to charge for services too. What is clear is that while MDA is still associated with being the nation’s EMS provider, the organization’s days of running a monopoly are rapidly coming to an end.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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One Response
“will prohibit Magen David Adom from charging anyone who receives service but is not transported to a hospital. This includes anyone refusing transport as well”
“If a person is treated and released on the scene, and there is no need for transport, there will be a charge”
Let me get this straight. If the patient “receives service” but is not transported, even though the patient should have been transported, its free. But if the patient is “treated and released” then there is a fee.
Huh?
Secondly, this will encourage patients that need to be transported to tell the paramedics to “service” them and then refuse transport.