Deputy Health Minister told health lobby officials in Knesset on Tuesday that he plans to advance a plan to provide government dental care for children, causing a stir when he announced this will result in taking NIS 65 million from the health budget towards offering the service.
Litzman stressed he is confident this will be part of the national healthcare package in 2010, adding he will allocate NIS 350 million for national healthcare basket, while “correcting a major injustice” bringing dental care into the national plan after years of neglect. He is confident the NIS 350 million will be adequate for the drug basket, while launching his new program which is estimated to carry an annual price tag of NIS 250 million, realizing he will have to seek additional funding with the treasury and other government agencies.
Litzman also believes some of the parties will help, indicating Shas is already signaling a willingness to release some of its coalition budget towards providing dental care for the nation’s children, up to age 18. Litzman will have to find the missing funds, only having NIS 65 million in hand.
The deputy minister reports that of the families earning up to NIS 4,000 monthly and families earning up to NIS 8,000 a month, 68% and 57% respectfully ignore dental care for their children.
Not everyone is pleased, including officials at the Israel Cancer Society, with leaders stating they resent the minister’s blatant intervention in the national healthcare basket, acting as if it is “a petty cash fund”. Rivka Freilich, the organization’s spokesperson stated “Today it is dental care and tomorrow it will be something else. Where is such behavior acceptable?”
The Israel Medical Association feels the dental care should be funded by the government, but not utilizing funds intended to expand the current healthcare basket, explaining the project will be at the expense of one drug or another.
Other opponents feel that the minister does not have the right to unilaterally decide to allocate NIS 65 million, stating by doing so, he is decreeing the fate of those who will not receive drug therapy as a result.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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6 Responses
How about a new law that people go to work and make a living!!! Wow!! What a concept!!!
kol hakavod!!
NUMBER 1
“The deputy minister reports that of the families earning up to NIS 4,000 monthly and families earning up to NIS 8,000 a month, 68% and 57% respectfully ignore dental care for their children”
WHERE DO YOU THINK THEY ARE MAKEING THIS $$$
Can you kindly switch the picture??
Were should the state get the money to pay for this and other programs, they cant just print more money every time someone has an idea for a freebe. How about free lunch and transportation for all.
Number 1 I hope that your hatred for the haredi would not blind your mind but they also pay city tax and vat. There are many Americans and British
along with French and Australians who get money from relatives abroad that is put into the economy of eretz Yisrael which gives jobs there
By living in Eretz Yisrael it creates an economy
for food, clothing, shelter, hospital, doctors, bus, cars, furniture etc etc etc
Now please open your eyes