A revolutionary proposal designed to increase competition and lower the cost of health care insurance is currently being examined by a panel of experts. According to the proposal, a uniform policy will be applied to commercialized healthcare companies and public health funds alike. Under the suggested uniform policy, surgeries and secondary medical opinions, which are the most requested health care services, will be provided to customers. The reform, if implemented, will allow for competition among privatized insurance companies and the nationalized health service funds -- Clalit, Maccabi and Meuhedet. It will also cancel the need to use two different companies, one public and one private, for different health insurance needs. The hope is that the reformed health services market will lower prices for consumers. The committee of experts, headed by Dr. Shlomi Parizat, recommends that the uniform policies be allotted for 3-5 year periods, in contrast to the current situation with lifetime policies. If the recommendation is authorized, commercial insurance companies will be prohibited from turning away potential customers based on medical history, as is presently customary. Additional recommendations include offering different layers of supplementary services, with the second layer providing coverage for essential services such as pregnancy checkups and dentistry. The third layer would provide coverage for less essential services. The Health Ministry will be able to determine the makeup of the uniform policy. Meanwhile, the inclusion of lifesaving drugs in the supplementary service packages is also currently being discussed. A committee member said on Wednesday that there is a plan whereby fines will be levied against health funds that operate privatized health care services at higher rates, in order to encourage the funds to provide the best care possible within the policies outlined by the Health Ministry. "The competition will be over price and service, because everyone will need to offer a uniform and transparent product. The new situation in which insurance is not for life, along with the competition, is expected to dramatically lower the cost of health insurance," said another official familiar with the committee's work.
