Maccabi Health Fund Blocks LGBTQ+ Parents From Accessing Children's Medical Records Without Notice

LGBTQ+ parents have accused Maccabi Health Fund of blocking their access to their children's medical records without prior warning. Maccabi explained that this change stems from Amendment 13 to the Privacy Protection Law, which restricts medical information access to individuals registered as parents in the Population Registry. The health fund initially told parents the issue was due to a "version update" and legal compliance. Following the complaints, Knesset member Yorai Lahav-Hertzanu (Yesh Atid) urged Health Minister Chaim Katz to intervene, condemning the repeated demands for LGBTQ+ families to prove their parenthood as humiliating and discriminatory. Lahav-Hertzanu emphasized that legally recognized parenthood should not be repeatedly questioned due to system updates and called the practice a policy of discrimination rather than a technical error.

Parents reported that Maccabi requires them to visit a branch to re-register as their children's parents to regain access. The amendment, effective for about a year, aims to protect data from cyberattacks by limiting access to medical records to those officially recognized as parents by the National Insurance Institute. However, LGBTQ+ families argue that most couples are registered with the National Insurance Institute, especially following surrogacy procedures, making the block unnecessary. Lahav-Hertzanu criticized Maccabi's interpretation of the law as overly restrictive and lacking transparency, urging better communication with affected families.

One parent, Yogev, who has three children registered under both him and his husband at the National Insurance Institute, shared that after the update, neither he nor his husband could access the medical records of their non-genetic children. He described the situation as severe, noting the practical difficulties in managing medical appointments and treatments without access. Maccabi has not issued any formal apology or notification about the change.

In response, Maccabi stated that all parents registered in the Population Registry retain full access to their children's medical information. They acknowledged the access limitation for those not registered as parents and said they are working on a legal solution to allow access for parents not listed in the registry through a declaration by the registered parent. Lahav-Hertzanu demanded that the Health Ministry order all health funds to immediately remove any restrictions preventing LGBTQ+ parents from accessing their children's medical records, calling for an end to systemic mistreatment in 2026.