Israelis' rising life expectancy poses health care challenge

Israelis' life expectancy has increased by two years over the past decade, essentially growing at a pace of five hours a day, the Health Ministry said on Monday. Life expectancy for Israeli women rose from 82.2 years in 2005 to 84.1 years in 2015. Meanwhile, life expectancy for Israeli men has grown from 78.2 years in 2005 to 80.1 years in 2015.

The data was published ahead of a conference Tuesday on the health care costs associated with an aging population. According to the ministry's projections, the number of Israelis aged 75 and older, which stood at 410,000 in 2015, will almost double to 811,000 in 2039.

This will have major ramifications on Israel's state-run health care providers, as the budget they receive is based on the number of people they treat, not their age. The costs of treating Israelis 75 and up are four times as high as those associated with younger age groups: 23,000 shekels ($6,100) compared to NIS 5,500 ($1,500).

The ministry said that the number of Israelis aged 65 and up who seek medical treatment is triple the number of patients among younger Israelis. Likewise, the costs associated with their medication consumption is 2.6 times as high.

Health Minister Yakov Litzman told Israel Hayom Monday that "the aging of the population is one of the biggest challenges facing health care providers. It is essential that we move toward providing universal long-term care, as this will ultimately bring about a drastic shift in the way the state takes care of its aging population."

Health Ministry Director General Moshe Bar Siman Tov said, "The number of older Israelis could triple and quadruple in the coming years; in order to be prepared, Israel must take immediate action."