The Chairman of the Medicines Basket Committee, Prof. Dina Ben Yehuda, submitted today (Wednesday) the final list of the medicines basket for 2023, which will be budgeted at 650 million shekels - the highest amount given so far. Among the medicines and services that entered the basket this year: the expensive medicine especially for myeloma patients, special treatment for breast cancer, new technologies in the field of diabetes and funding of surrogacy treatments for same-sex couples. Among those left out of the basket this year - weight loss drugs, and an expanded genetic screening to detect diseases.
The final list was submitted today to Health Minister Aryeh Deri after four months Discussions on the subject ended at the beginning of the week. A total of 122 drugs for a variety of diseases and medical problems entered the basket, alongside funding for other medical services. The budget of the basket, which is the list of medical services and medicines provided to the residents of Israel by the health insurance funds, was increased by Minister Deri with an addition of one hundred An additional million shekels.
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Medicines (photo: official website, police spokesperson - Negev region)
The last discussions of the committee were held until the wee hours of the night and became extremely tense, when the discussion revolved around the most expensive medicine in the basket at a cost of NIS 85 million.
The drug is Darzalex (DARZALEX), intended for multiple myeloma patients as a first line of treatment for patients who are candidates for stem cell transplants, where according to estimates there are 1,700 patients each year.
The initial amount of the pharmaceutical company was very expensive, but after sharp debates the company agreed to an agreement with a significant discount that allowed the drug to be included in the drug basket already this year.
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The most common medicine - for ear infection
The medicine that enters the basket and is used by the highest number of patients is Ketraxel - a medicine for the treatment of ear infections.
97 thousand people are treated with it every year.
The field of oncology, as every year, also occupies a large budget from the basket of medicines, and this year the committee decided to focus on breast tumors at a total cost of about NIS 130 million.
One of the good news in this area is the treatment of breast cancer which is known as breast cancer with the "Jewish gene" and is mainly common among Jewish women.
The treatment will be carried out at an early stage with an increased risk of returning the disease with the help of the drug Linferza.
The drug Enharto also entered the basket, and is part of a treatment for unresectable breast cancer which, according to the studies, greatly extended the lives of the patients.
In addition, a survey was introduced to detect precancerous lesions of the cervix in the amount of more than NIS 24 million, with the number of patients being 53 thousand women.
In the field of diabetes, the committee members focused on new technologies such as an automatic system for monitoring sugar and insulin injection.
This treatment is mainly intended for children, but those who started getting sick in childhood will be entitled to treatment until the age of 18. The cost of the system is close to NIS 24 million for 4,200 patients.
Another technology is intended for women with gestational diabetes who are treated with insulin, where the function of the system is to monitor the blood sugar level from diagnosis until delivery.
In the field of cardiology, Perluant was introduced - which is an injection to lower cholesterol.
In addition, it was decided to include the financing of eyeglasses for children up to the age of seven, the financing of in vitro fertilization treatments for men (individuals or couples), and ambulance evacuation to acute centers for victims of sexual assault.
In the field of attention disorders, ADHD treatment was introduced for adults, at a cost of more than nine million shekels.
This year, communication clinic treatments for recurrent stuttering among adults were also introduced - while the last two treatments were mainly aimed at children until now, this year it was decided to extend them to adults as well.
In the field of gynecology, it was decided to lower the age for termination of pregnancy for women to 33, vaginal trainers for women suffering from a narrow vagina, and amniocentesis and placental tests for pregnant women from the age of 33. However, no contraceptive measures were introduced for women who are at medical risk of conceiving or carrying a pregnancy.
Financing IVF treatments - inside.
Parents caressing a baby (Photo: ShutterStock)
A share of close to 10% of the basket's budget was converted to preventive care with the purchase of vaccines in the amount of more than NIS 50 million.
The basket included two permanent vaccines, the first a vaccine against shingles for two groups, one aged 65 and over and the other aged 18-65 in risk groups.
A second vaccine is a streptococcus vaccine for 65-year-olds without underlying diseases.
Another vaccine that came in as a one-off - only for this year - is the HPV (papilloma vaccine) for 18-26 year olds who did not receive the vaccine in the education system.
A vaccine that was not introduced due to its high price (one hundred million shekels) is a vaccine against the virulent meningococcal bacterium that mainly affects toddlers.
Medicines left out of the basket this year are medicines for weight loss, in the field of genetics, an expanded genetic screening for the entire population to detect genetic diseases for all women, regardless of their origin, cost 45.5 million shekels.
In the discussions, it was claimed that the survey became necessary due to the case of failure to replace the embryos at Assuta Rishon Lezion Hospital, since there may be other such children who need to know if there are genetic problems as a result.
Impinzi - a medicine for patients with lung cancer of the small cell type and xenophys - a medicine for a rare disease.
"I was afraid that they would give me up because I'm an adult - but the state paid me back in a big way"
Patients and patients expressed great joy from the services that entered the medicine basket, and some even admitted that they got their lives back.
"I am moved to tears. I did not believe that I would live for the moment when the drug that could help me and patients like me entered the medicine basket this year," greeted Yaakov Shalman, a non-melanoma skin cancer patient.
"'Libatio' is a treatment for advanced and metastatic stages of cancer, but this treatment can ease the suffering and pain and allows us a little relief. I was afraid that the basket would prefer to approve drugs that help patients in the early stages and give up on us - the older patients. I have lived for so many years, I love the country and I have contributed And today I feel like I got a lot back."
The Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology at Hadassah Hospital (Photo: Flash 90, Shlomi Cohen)
Rinat Zolti's medicine, a metastatic breast cancer patient, also went into the basket and she is now more optimistic.
"It is so exciting to know that patients with metastatic breast cancer will be able to receive the drug 'Anharto.' more to receive the treatments they so long for. I have small children at home and I have no words to thank each and every one who allows us to continue living."
Adopts all the recommendations.
Health Minister Aryeh Deri (photo: Walla! system, Reuven Castro)
Mali DeHaan, the mother of seven-year-old David, who was diagnosed with diabetes, said: "I am happy to hear the Hasel Committee's decision regarding the artificial pancreas. I feel that I have won a new life for my son. David is only 7 years old and has type 1 diabetes and there was no treatment until this moment who managed to balance him. An uncle who had given up on life would wake up to an optimistic morning and a new beginning. Thank you thank you for allowing me this moment."
Deri: Accepts all the committee's recommendations, including financing abortions and surrogacy
Health Minister Aryeh Deri welcomed the submission of the list by the Medicines Basket Committee, and said that he respects all of its recommendations - including funding abortions and gay surrogacy.
"My job is to bring as many budgets into the system as possible and to hear the professionals out loud. I adopt all the recommendations of the committee as written and spoken because I trust its judgment," he said
. The basket of medicines we brought this year is the largest ever in the State of Israel - 650 million shekels. Thanks to this addition, oncological medicines, prevention technologies and life-prolonging products that were not planned to enter the basket entered this year. These technologies and medicines will allow the weaker sections to receive much better and much more advanced medicine Blessings to all those involved in the craft."
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