Kupat Cholim Klalit, Leumit and Meuchedet sick funds will
soon stop providing special services geared to the chareidi
sector. Among those services are transportation to the
clinics for those in need, late night reception hours, home
medicine delivery, Shabbos clinics and others.
The cuts come in the wake of directives issued by the Health
Ministry prohibiting the sick funds to provide such special
services to the chareidi sector without first determining
criteria for the overall population.
Although the directives were issued by Health Ministry
Assistant Director Michal Abadi five months ago, only
recently has pressure been exerted on the funds to
discontinue these services immediately.
Yated Ne'eman has learned that Kupat Cholim Klalit has
decided to discontinue its transportation services, but is
continuing to provide them for now. Meuchedet will
discontinue these services when all of the other funds do the
same. Leumit is concerned about future developments, and
Kupat Cholim Asia, a special division for the chareidi
public, is on the verge of closure.
Top-ranking officials in the sick funds were puzzled by the
unprecedented battle by the Health Ministry Deputy Director
in this affair. "We don't understand why the Health Minister
doesn't do anything. This is a form of compensatory
favoritism that is supposed to provide services geared to
chareidi members, just as services not applicable to
chareidim are provided to other sectors."
Activists caution against this decision that could signal a
trend of reduction in health service benefits for the
chareidi sector.
