Israel Reveals Longest Wait Times for MRI Scans and Elective Surgeries in Public Health System

The Israeli Ministry of Health has published comprehensive national reports detailing wait times for MRI scans and 19 types of elective surgeries across the public healthcare system. The data reveals significant disparities in wait times between health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and hospitals, providing the public with a clearer picture for the first time.

Among HMOs, the shortest average wait for an MRI from doctor referral to scan was 35.5 days at Meuhedet, followed by Leumit at 46.4 days and Maccabi at 50.6 days. Clalit recorded the longest average wait at 63.7 days. In 2025, Israel conducted 570,076 MRI scans, an 8.8% increase from the previous year, yet wait times generally did not lengthen and even improved in some areas. The longest waits were for breast and abdominal/pelvic MRIs, while musculoskeletal MRIs had the shortest waits.

Surgical wait times varied widely by procedure and hospital, making it difficult to rank hospitals overall. Some patients also choose to wait longer for specific surgeons or facilities, affecting the data. However, hospitals such as Rambam, Ichilov (Sourasky), Barzilai, Ziv, Wolfson, and the Northern Medical Center consistently showed relatively shorter waits. Conversely, Carmel, Emek, Soroka, Hadassah Mount Scopus, Hadassah Ein Kerem, and Kaplan had longer waits across multiple surgery types.

The longest median surgical wait nationally was for nasal septum correction at 89 days, followed by tonsil and adenoid surgeries at 78 days, knee replacements at 70 days, hernia repairs at 64 days, hip replacements at 57 days, and bariatric and thyroid surgeries at 55-56 days. The shortest waits were for colon resections, breast reconstruction, and eye vitreous surgeries.

Despite these disparities, Israel compares favorably to other OECD countries with public health systems, such as Canada, Sweden, and Norway, maintaining relatively short MRI wait times despite a still low MRI machine per capita ratio. Since 2008, the number of MRI machines in Israel has increased over 600%, from 10 to more than 70 in 2025, alongside a quadrupling of MRI scans and expanded professional staff and equipment in peripheral areas.

These reports mark the first transparent exposure of wait time gaps in Israel’s public health system and establish a baseline for monitoring future changes. The Ministry of Health aims to reduce these disparities and improve access to medical services in the coming years.