The Ministry of Welfare & Social Services has announced a special NIS 50 million allocation to subsidize medications for Holocaust survivors, numbering about 80,000 people. This new subsidy may already be reality as soon as next month.

Under the new program, no survivor will have to spend more than NIS 125 monthly for medications for those under 75 and NIS 100 for those over 75. Some are currently compelled to spend several times this sum for their meds.

The process demands coordination between numerous ministries, to update kupat cholim (HMO) computers to flag holocaust survivors, entitling them to the subsidy amounting to about 90% of the cost of medications.

According to government statistics, 80% of the survivors are over 75. The new program will not compel the survivors to obtain permits or become involved in paperwork, but the computers will be updated to entitle them to the discount without them doing anything.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)