Finance Committee Chairman Avraham Ravitz today (Wednesday) announced that the government's proposals for the amendment of the Health Law, in the framework of the Arrangements Law, would not get by the committee in their present wording. Summing up the initial round of discussions on the amendments, Ravitz asked Finance Ministry officials to submit an amended version to the committee, "in such a way that the law does not distinguish between medicine for the rich and medicine for the poor".
Ravitz, supported by a majority of committee members, including coalition representatives, demanded that health fund members from the weaker neighbourhoods receive the full amount of health services in accordance with the present basket, at no extra payment.
Labour and Welfare committee chairman Maxim Levy announced that the Gesher faction will not support the original bill, and if the bill passes as is, "there will be no government". Levy said this position will also be binding upon Michael Kleiner, coalition co-ordinator on the committee, who was not present at the committee meeting.
Ravitz told "Globes" that he was perfectly confident that the Minister of Finance will sign the order for financing the supply of drugs to cancer and AIDS patients, and that the delay in signing arises from the need to amend the order and to complete it by noting drug prices. The Ministry of Health has been working on this especially in recent hours.
The Knesset today approved in preliminary debate a private bill for the amendment of the Health Insurance Law, whereby any change in the health services basket will be contingent on the consent of the finance committee, rather than on the consent of the Minister of Finance and the approval of the government.