Israel Considers Overhauling Autism Services, Shifting Diagnosis and Benefits

Israel is poised for a significant change in how it provides benefits, treatments, and services to children with autism spectrum disorder. A professional committee, chaired by Nir Keidar, CEO of the Taub Center, has released recommendations that could alter the diagnostic process and the scope of rights children receive. Key proposals include transferring the responsibility for specialized diagnoses to health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and ending the current system where all diagnosed children receive the same benefits regardless of their individual needs and performance levels.

These recommendations come amid a sharp increase in government spending on national insurance benefits for children with disabilities. Spending on these benefits is projected to jump from 1 billion Israeli shekels in 2013 to 9 billion shekels in 2025, with estimates reaching 18 billion shekels annually by 2030. Concurrently, the rate of children diagnosed with autism in Israel has surged by 490% since 2013, an unprecedented rise even by international standards.

The committee identified the current financial entitlement system as problematic, noting it relies primarily on the diagnosis itself rather than the child's actual needs. Under the existing model, children diagnosed with autism receive a broad range of treatments and benefits, even those with relatively high functioning. Conversely, children with more complex difficulties requiring extensive therapy and intensive support often do not receive adequate assistance, partly due to a shortage of specialists.

The proposed solution is a tiered model where each child is assessed based on their needs across six different areas. The appropriate package of treatments and services would then be determined accordingly. This means children needing greater support could receive more, while those with lesser needs would get a more tailored, smaller package. The committee also recommends eliminating the system of compensating parents for private treatments.

Implementing these changes is expected to be challenging. The committee emphasizes that transferring diagnostic and treatment services to the public health system will require substantial budget increases, including salaries to attract medical staff from the private sector. The rollout would be gradual, initially focusing on younger children and complex cases, with expansion based on the system's capacity to avoid congestion. Keidar stated in February 2026 that while the committee does not directly set national insurance benefits, its recommendations could influence the National Insurance Institute to adapt its eligibility criteria using the new model. The committee also recommends a unified, mandatory diagnosis for all public bodies, including the National Insurance Institute, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Social Affairs, replacing the current requirement for separate diagnoses. However, no final decision has been made regarding the benefit amounts, as these are recommendations requiring governmental approval.