Health Care in Israel
| Published date | 01 January 1981 |
| Date | 01 January 1981 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/019251218100200104 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
43
HEALTH CARE
IN
ISRAEL
Political
and
Administrative
Aspects
ASHER
ARIAN
AUTHOR’S
NOTE:
This
research
was
partially
supported
by
grants
from
the
Ford
Foundation
received
through
the
Israel
Foundation
Trustees,
and
the
Institute
of
Labor
and
Social
Research,
Te)
Aviv
University.
While
there
is
a
widely
accepted
norm
of
universal
health
care
provision
in
Israel,
the
major
sources
of
health
care are
particularistic
organizations,
tied
to
political
parties
committed
to
universal
health
care
provision
within
particularistic
structures,
and
opposed
to
nationalization
of
this
vital
social
service
function.
Although
the
ideology
of
statism
remains
dominant,
those
who
would
lose
most
by
its
implementation
have
con-
sistently
succeeded
in
scuttling
the
transfer
of
social
service
functions
from
the
particu-
laristic
sector
to
the
national
sphere.
The
organization
of
health
services
in
Israel
demon-
strates
the
importance
of
the
political
dimension
when
discussing
structures
for
the
delivery
of
health
care.
INTRODUCTION
The
provision
of
health
care
has
become
an
important
political
issue
in
many
systems.
The
availability
of
health
care,
its
quality,
and
the
efficiency
with
which
it
is
delivered
have
all
been
matters
discussed
in
societies
committed
to
providing
adequate
health
care
for
their
citizens.
Health
services
are
provided
in
Israel
by
voluntary
insurance,
which
covers
the
great
majority
of
the
population
and
which
is
paid
into
five
nonprofit
public
&dquo;sick
funds.&dquo;
This
system
developed
before
the
establishment
of the
state,
and
provided
services
not
otherwise
available.
The
British
government’s
role
was
limited,
and
nonaffiliated
groups
such
as
Hadassah
provided
some
facilities
and
funds.
Most
of
the
health
care,
however,
was
financed
by
the
sick
funds.
The
main
fund
was
affiliated
with
the
Histadrut
(General
Federation
of
Labor),
which
insured
many
working-class
immigrants
upon
their
arrival
in
the
country.
In
addition,
the
Histadrut
sick
fund
was
the
only
one
that
provided
services
in
more
distant
locations,
to
farmers
and
members
of
the
kibbutz
and
moshav
movements.
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