title: Israel: Health System Review.
abstract: Israel is a small country, with just over 8 million citizens and a modern market-based economy with a comparable level of gross domestic product per capita to the average in the European Union. It has had universal health coverage since the introduction of a progressively financed statutory health insurance system in 1995. All citizens can choose from among four competing, non-profit-making health plans, which are charged with providing a broad package of benefits stipulated by the government. Overall, the Israeli health care system is quite efficient. Health status levels are comparable to those of other developed countries, even though Israel spends a relatively low proportion of its gross domestic product on health care (less than 8%) and nearly 40% of that is privately financed. Factors contributing to system efficiency include regulated competition among the health plans, tight regulatory controls on the supply of hospital beds, accessible and professional primary care and a well-developed system of electronic health records. Israeli health care has also demonstrated a remarkable capacity to innovate, improve, establish goals, be tenacious and prioritize. Israel is in the midst of numerous health reform efforts. The health insurance benefits package has been extended to include mental health care and dental care for children. A multipronged effort is underway to reduce health inequalities. National projects have been launched to measure and improve the quality of hospital care and reduce surgical waiting times, along with greater public dissemination of comparative performance data. Major steps are also being taken to address projected shortages of physicians and nurses. One of the major challenges currently facing Israeli health care is the growing reliance on private financing, with potentially deleterious effects for equity and efficiency. Efforts are currently underway to expand public financing, improve the efficiency of the public system and constrain the growth of the private sector.
authors.affiliation: Smokler Center for Health Policy Research, of the Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute, Jerusalem.
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rosen
authors.affiliation: Smokler Center for Health Policy Research of the Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute, Jerusalem.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Waitzberg
authors.affiliation: European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, LSE Health, London.
authors.forename: Sherry
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Merkur
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003752:Dental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D033161:Government Regulation; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000458:organization & administration; D006268:Health Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006280:Health Workforce / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007255:Information Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D007557:Israel; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors