The meeting was led by the Director-General of the Ministry of Health, Moshe Bar Siman-Tov, Board Chair Prof. Dina Ben Yehuda, and members of the Health Basket Board.
This year, the board for expanding the health services basket received over 1,000 requests for medications and technologies totaling more than 3 billion NIS. The board has a budget of 650 million NIS for 2026.
Moshe Bar Siman-Tov, Director-General of the ministry of Health: “These are very complex decisions that need to be taken. As every year, the decisions are becoming more complicated. We must carefully balance needs and values to ensure the Israeli health basket remains up to date. At the end of your process, patients and healthcare providers should know they are receiving and giving the best possible care. This is not something we take for granted.
We balance different technologies and values, including saving lives and improving quality of life. The board’s members reflect the diversity of Israeli society. Transparency and your work build public trust. Decisions made in this room—intentionally in a transparent building—determine important outcomes. At the end of the process, we will tell the public that thorough, professional work was done, considering all relevant factors with ongoing public dialogue and complete transparency. This is the foundation of trust, which is crucial for the success of our work.
There is a professional infrastructure built over decades, with extensive support for the board. Every detail is considered, and improvements have been made compared to last year, led by Prof. Osnat Luxenburg and Dr. Tal Morgenstein, who dedicate almost the entire year to this work. This is a peak moment in the process, and I thank them sincerely.
I also thank Prof. Dina Ben Yehuda, leading the board for the fourth consecutive year, combining the highest professionalism with compassion and patient connection, and often continuing her clinical work after board meetings. Thank you for taking on this task.
Thank you to the board members. This is an important and noble task, a great privilege, but also challenging. You are volunteering or performing this alongside other responsibilities. The eyes of the Israeli public are on you to ensure the best work is done, maintaining the excellence of the Israeli health system and advancing the national health basket.”
Prof. Dina Ben Yehuda, board chair: “The public board faces a complex and sensitive challenge—deciding which medications, medical technologies, and new services will be added to Israel’s health basket. Our decisions directly affect the lives and health of hundreds of thousands of citizens.
We operate in a difficult reality. While the recent fighting has ended, many are still facing the aftermath. Almost no household or family was untouched. These challenges affect public systems and the health system.
We are aware of new and special needs: expanding health services, physical and mental rehabilitation for those affected, and support for families who lost loved ones. Many patients feel uncomfortable discussing their pain or fears, surrounded by people who endured the cost of war. I remind them that they fought for the right to live here in security, health, and hope.
Board members, together with Prof. Osnat Luxenburg and Dr. Tal Morgenstein, approach our work with a strong sense of mission, transparency, fairness, and professionalism. We strive to allocate public resources wisely and compassionately to benefit the maximum number of Israeli citizens, considering the unique needs of different patient groups and populations.
Prof. Ben Yehuda concluded with a personal reflection on the mission of medicine, quoting a prayer: “Merciful and gracious God, I thank You for allowing me to serve as Your instrument in medicine, helping patients and easing their suffering… Please, God, strengthen me and give me the power to continue helping.”
- Moshe Bar Siman-Tov, Director-General of the Ministry of Health – Recording of the meeting
- Prof. Dina Ben Yehuda, Chair of the Health Basket board – Recording of the meeting
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