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Health Ministry Approves Panel to Expand National Drug Basket for 2027
The Ministry of Health appointed the 17-member Public Committee for Expanding the Health Services Basket for 2027 on Sunday, October 25, 2026. The committee, chaired by Prof. Dina Ben Yehuda, has been allocated a budget of NIS 650 million to review hundreds of new medications and medical technologies.
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What happened
- 01The Ministry of Health appointed a 17-member committee on Sunday, October 25, 2026, to expand the 2027 health services basket.
- 02The committee has been allocated a budget of NIS 650 million, which is unchanged from previous years.
- 03Prof. Dina Ben Yehuda will chair the committee, which includes medical experts, government officials, and health fund representatives.
- 04The committee will review approximately 520 drugs and 35 technologies, including treatments for breast cancer, Alzheimer's, and obesity.
- 05According to Ynet and Vesty, the committee's appointment was significantly delayed, and the frozen budget fails to keep pace with rising global pharmaceutical costs.
- 06Health Minister Chaim Katz stated the funding aims to provide advanced medical care regardless of a patient's financial status.
- 07According to Vesty, critic Prof. Nadav Davidovich argued that the static budget represents a real cut that widens healthcare inequality.
The committee is tasked with evaluating approximately 520 drugs and 35 technologies, including treatments for breast cancer, Alzheimer's, pulmonary fibrosis, and obesity. Its recommendations for inclusion in the national health basket will be based on medical, professional, social, and economic considerations. According to Ynet and Vesty, the appointment of the committee was significantly delayed, and its budget remains frozen at the same level as previous years.
Minister of Health Chaim Katz stated that the annual addition of NIS 650 million strengthens the state's response to its citizens and helps reduce disparities in access to advanced treatments, regardless of financial ability. Director General of the Ministry of Health Moshe Bar Siman Tov emphasized that the committee's work directly impacts patients' quality of life and survival. However, critics such as Prof. Nadav Davidovich, cited by Vesty, argue that the static budget constitutes a real cut that will exacerbate healthcare inequality.
Summarized by baba from the reports of 9 newsrooms. Updated
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Health Ministry Approves Panel to Expand National Drug Basket for 2027