Another step was taken this week in Knesset to remove citizens from the payment process after using a MDA ambulance.

MK Shuli Moalem-Refaeli, who is Chairwoman of Bayit Yehudi, submitted an amendment to the Magen David Adom Law in second and third readings in the Knesset. The amendment obligates the hospitals to provide MDA with information about patients who were evacuated by the organization, “This is a happy news that will make it easier for the citizens to arrange payment for an ambulance evacuation service,” said Eli Bin, MDA Director-General,

On Monday, 11 Adar, MK Moalem-Refaeli passed a second and third reading in the Knesset plenum to amend the Magen David Adom Law, whereby hospitals will be required to deliver within 14 days Magen David Adom has the details of a person evacuated by an MDA ambulance if because of his medical condition, it was not possible to clarify his personal details with him at the time of the evacuation. This will permit MDA to ascertain whether the patient is entitled to HMO coverage for the ambulance service within a reasonable period of time, thereby saving bureaucratic hassle from the patient and his family, and prevent those from accumulating debts for unpaid payments.

In short, instead of the patient having to run around, MDA will collect directly from a HMO.

In MDA, many efforts are being made to remove the citizen from the payment cycle for the evacuation fee of sick and wounded evacuated to hospitals in the organization’s ambulances, and MK Moalem-Refaeli is advancing this effort by making it law. The proposal passed into law was formulated after two years of joint work by the MDA management with MK Moalem-Refaeli, and before the amendment was approved, on September 1, 2017 an agreement was signed with the health funds that allows MDA to operate directly with the HMOs in order to remove the citizen from the circle If he is entitled to cover the cost of the evacuation.

MK Muallem was pleased with the vote, which she explained significantly cut red tape pertaining to paying one’s MDA bill.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)