Israeli Health Ministry Report Reveals Extreme Wait Time Disparities for Elective Surgeries and MRI Scans

A comprehensive report released by the Israeli Ministry of Health in 2024 exposes stark disparities in wait times for elective surgeries and MRI scans across the country. For cataract surgery, the median wait time at Laniado Hospital in Netanya was only 22 days, with just 4.6% waiting over three months. In contrast, Carmel Hospital in Haifa reported a median wait of 202 days, with 74% of patients waiting more than three months, a ninefold difference within the same public health system. Nationally, the median wait for cataract surgery is 50 days, shorter than the OECD average of 68 days, but over a quarter of patients (26.9%) wait more than three months for elective procedures.

The report highlights that urgent or life-saving surgeries receive priority, with shortest waits for breast removal and reconstruction (25 days) and colon resection (27 days). However, less urgent surgeries like septoplasty have median waits nearing three months, and nearly half of patients wait over three months. Pediatric tonsil and adenoid surgeries have a median wait of 78 days. MRI availability has improved significantly, with machines increasing from 10 in 2008 to over 70 in 2025, and MRI tests per 1,000 residents quadrupling. Yet, demand outpaces supply, with MRI tests rising 8.9% in one year and median wait times only slightly reduced from 37 to 35 days. Interpretation times increased from 8.4 to 9.3 days, indicating a shortage of radiologists rather than machines.

Wait times vary widely by health fund and region. Maccabi Health Services approves MRI scans within one day on average, while Leumit waits 19 days, and Clalit patients wait 63.7 days compared to 35.5 days in Meuhedet. Geographic disparities are also notable; Jerusalem district has the longest MRI wait at 73.9 days and the lowest MRI rate per 1,000 insured compared to the central district. The report excludes private hospitals funded publicly, where wait times are shorter, thus measuring only the slower public track.

The Ministry emphasizes Israel’s relatively short waits compared to OECD countries but does not address the large internal inequalities. The report also notes that Clalit, which owns Carmel Hospital, may have financial incentives to keep patients within its system, contributing to longer waits. The National Health Insurance Law promises care within a "reasonable time," but no official maximum wait times or enforcement mechanisms exist. Consequently, even extreme waits like 202 days for cataract surgery remain unaddressed as systemic issues.