State of Israel Ministry of Health : Assistance Funding Rehabilitation and Ambulatory Assistance

Name of the Organization :State of Israel Ministry of Health
Type of Facility : Assistance Funding Rehabilitation and Ambulatory Assistance Devices
Country : Israel

Official Website : http://www.health.gov.il/Pages/HomePage.aspx

Assistance Funding Rehabilitation :

Eligible for assistance :
** Residents with a permanent disability, living within the community, are eligible for the rehabilitation and ambulatory assistance devices as defined in the third addendum to the national health insurance law.

Related : State of Israel Ministry of Health Provision Of Medical Rehabilitation for Seniors : www.statusin.org/5595.html

** Disabled persons hospitalized in nursing institutions, hospitals and institutions run by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services, are entitled to receive walking aids and artificial limbs only – these are provided by the Lewis Institute.

Rehabilitation Devices :
** For children and youths up to age 18 – juvenile hearing aids, visual aids, telescopic and microscopic eyeglasses, special contact lenses for children who cannot wear glasses.
** For the general public – prosthetic breasts and first bra, prosthetic eyes and prosthetic scleral lenses, exterior prostheses such as prosthetic noses, ears etc.

Procedure for obtaining the assistance / financing :
** Initial application to the HMOs or to the special education facilities, requesting participation in the purchase of the device
** For Ambulatory Assistance Devices
** The patient must contact the family physician at the HMO (children studying in special education institutions may apply via the institution). The family physician or specialist shall forward the application to a physiotherapist or occupational therapist (authorized to provide a recommendation), through the unit, for continued handling or for other handling, in order to evaluate the eligibility for participation in the funding of the rehabilitation and mobility device.

For Rehabilitation Devices :
** In applications for rehabilitation devices, the patient must contact the relevant physician at the HMO to receive a recommendation.
** Documents as detailed below must be attached to the application.

Submitting the application to the health bureau :
The request, along with the documents detailed below, must be submitted to the health bureau near the patient’s home – to the devices coordinator in the department of protracted diseases and rehabilitation. W

Required Documents :
** Documents that must be attached to the application for assistance in purchasing ambulatory assistance devices
** Up-to-date medical/nursing report, signed by a physician and a nurse.
** Specification and/or recommendation from a physiotherapist occupational therapist from the insuring HMO.
** Social report, signed by a social worker (in case of motorized / electrical ambulatory assistance devices or upon the bureau’s requirement).
** ID photocopy
** Applicants requesting a reduction of their copay – must apply for a consultation with the social worker at the health bureau.

About Us :
The Ministry of Health bears national responsibility for ensuring the health of the population of Israel. The ministry determines the policy on matters of health and medical services, and is in charge of planning, supervision and control, licensing and coordination of the health system’s services.

The ministry deals with the organization, operation and provision of preventive, diagnostic, treatment, rehabilitation and research services – directly or via medical institutions.