Our Experience with Health Care in Israel

 We had heard much about the health care system in Israel, but we had never experienced it except for one time before arriving here to become permanent residents.  At the airport we joined the MACCABI Health care system (one of 4 kupat cholim here).  After we got out of bidud (quarantine) one of our first stops was to pick up a magnetic identification card from the Maccabi health center office.  We also set up an appointment with a family physician who was assigned to us and we were delighted that along with his medical qualifications it also said he could speak English.

Charlie had an appointment with our physician about a week later and he was delightful.  Very good at listening, very helpful with setting up a full series of blood tests to be done in the coming week, and very accomodating with making suggestions about Charlie's current medications.

So of course, Charlie did get his blood tests done, had an EKG done for his baseline here, and also saw an ear nose and throat doctor to get permission for a hearing test.  The hearing test was done in another location and resulted in a referral to get new hearing aids should he wish to do so.  When Charlie wasn't feeling well, his doctor called him at a set time over the phone and ended up making him a referral to go see a cardiologist who works for the health center.

All in all, everyone here gets health care coverage regardless of their age and  pre-existing conditions. When you go into the health center, you see individuals of all socio-economic groups, Jews and Muslims, secular and religious, young and old being served.  Now that the coronavirus is prevalent here, individuals who are feeling ill are in touch with doctors via the phone rather than entering the health center.  From what I understand, if these were normal times, doctors would even make house calls to individuals who did not feel well enough to make their way to the kupat cholim.

At this point, I am impressed with the system.





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