Top Israeli Doctor's Union Official Sees 22.5% Salary Jump
Translated & summarized from Calcalist by baba
Leah Vagner, the top official at the Israel Medical Association, saw her monthly salary increase by 22.5% to NIS 70,747 in 2024. Her total annual compensation is estimated between NIS 1.52 million and NIS 1.66 million, including bonuses and other benefits. This significant raise occurred while the IMA negotiated a new agreement for doctors, who received a 7% raise. The IMA stated Vagner's salary adjustment followed eight years without an update and reflects her contributions.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Leah Vagner, head of the Israel Medical Association, received a 22.5% salary increase to NIS 70,747 monthly.
- Vagner's total annual compensation is estimated between NIS 1.52 million and NIS 1.66 million for 2024.
- The salary hike for Vagner occurred during negotiations for a new doctors' agreement, which included a 7% raise for physicians.
- The IMA stated Vagner's salary was last updated eight years prior and the adjustment is fair.
- The IMA is primarily funded by doctors' membership dues and reported a surplus largely from accounting revenues.
Leah Vagner, the Secretary-General and Legal Advisor of the Israel Medical Association (IMA), is now earning a gross monthly salary of NIS 70,747, a significant increase from NIS 57,747 in 2023. This represents a monthly raise of NIS 13,000, or a 22.5% jump in just one year. Vagner, who has been with the IMA for approximately 20 years, is considered a powerful figure within the organization and the broader Israeli healthcare system.
Beyond her base salary, Vagner also receives 13th and 14th-month salaries, employer contributions to social benefits, bonuses, imputed benefit values, expense reimbursements, and vacation pay. These additional benefits amounted to NIS 667,000 in 2024, up from NIS 544,000 in 2023, an increase of about 23% year-over-year. The IMA's financial reports do not clarify if the 13th and 14th-month salaries are included in this supplementary amount. Consequently, Vagner's total annual employment cost for 2024 is estimated by Calcalist to be between NIS 1.52 million and NIS 1.66 million.
This salary increase for Vagner is notably higher than the overall salary expenses of the IMA, which saw a modest 0.6% rise to NIS 29.4 million in 2024. The next four highest-paid executives at the IMA earn between NIS 30,619 and NIS 36,230 monthly, roughly half of Vagner's salary. Their supplementary payments increased by 8% in 2024 to an average of NIS 206,000 per executive.
The IMA, primarily funded by physicians' membership dues (NIS 87.3 million in 2024 from 32,227 members), reported a surplus of NIS 18.4 million for the year. However, approximately NIS 15.3 million of this surplus consists of non-cash accounting revenues, mainly from property revaluation, which are not available for budgetary use.
Vagner's raise came in a year when the IMA signed an interim agreement with doctors during the ongoing war, which included a 7% salary increase for all physicians. Negotiations for a new, comprehensive agreement are currently underway, with Vagner representing the doctors. Vagner has previously spoken out about healthcare disparities and the factors driving doctors to leave Israel, citing difficult working conditions, low pay relative to hours worked, and the country's instability.
The IMA defended the salary increase, stating that Vagner's compensation reflects her dual role as CEO and legal advisor and is fair by all standards. They noted that her salary was last updated eight years ago and that the recent adjustment, based on external comparisons by Professor Moshe Zvirin, reflects her efforts in leading the organization's growth and development, including initiatives in medical innovation and professional training.
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