Cancer Guide
Rights, Benefits, and Services for Cancer Patients in Israel
Know to Ask:
Review the various rights, benefits, and services highlighted in this checklist and make an appointment with the Kupat Cholim social worker at your local branch, a social worker at the treating hospital, or another guidance professional for information and assistance in accessing support. Please note that many items have eligibility conditions related to age, means, insurance membership or other factors.
Discounts, Exemptions, and Assistance from the Health Plans
- Fee Exemptions for Various Medications and Services
- Payment Ceiling for Medications
- Dental Care Funding for Cancer Patients
- Home Care for Oncology Patients
- Coverage of Travel Expenses for Medical Treatment
- Exceptions Committee for Approving Coverage of Medications/Treatments
- Funding for Wigs
Financial Assistance and Other Benefits
- Disability Pension from the National Insurance Institute (Bituach Leumi)
- Exemption from National Insurance Fees for Disability Pension Recipients
- Disabled Parking Permit
- Exemption from Payment of Hospital Parking Fees
- Discount on Bezeq Telephone Fees for Disability Pension Recipients
- Water Bill Benefit (High Rate Discount) for Disability Pension Recipients
- Income Tax Exemption for People with Disabilities
- Income Tax Credit Points for Parents of People with Disabilities
- Purchase Tax Discount on Residential Property
- Municipal Property Tax (Arnona) Discount
- Assistance Purchasing Rehabilitation Devices (including prostheses) from The Ministry of Health
Employment
- Sick Days – Personal or Due to an Ill Child, Spouse or Parent
- Vocational Rehabilitation for People with Disability from the National Insurance Institute
- Incentive Pension for Joining the Workforce from the National Insurance Institute
Fertility Preservation Treatments
Supportive and Nursing Care
- Special Services Benefit (Attendance Allowance) from the National Insurance Institute
- Hospice or Supportive Home Care (Palliative Care)
- Employing a Foreign Nursing Care Worker
Patient Support Organizations:
This is not an exclusive list. If you have a need for a service you do not see here, we urge you to make your need known. If it is not already addressed by an existing program, many organizations will use their resources to facilitate your individual needs in any way possible.
Israel Cancer Association 800-599-995 www.cancer.org.il
- Information Resources and Guidance
- Database of Clinical Studies for Cancer Patients
- Financial Assistance
- Tax Advising for Cancer Patients
- Listing of Pharmacies that Offer Discounts for Cancer Patients on Medications
- Listing of Travel Insurance Providers for Cancer Patients
- Support Groups
- Many more programs and services for cancer patients throughout Israel
Transportation/Ambulance, Equipment Loan and Other General Services
- Ezer Mizion 02-500-2111 www.ezer-mizion.org.il
- Yad Sarah *6444 www.yadsarah.org
- Ezra Le’Marpeh 03-577-7000 www.ezra-lemarpe.org
- Lev Malka 02-537-6666 www.levmalka.com
- Haverim LeRefuah (Medications/Treatment) 03-579-2220 www.haverim.org.il
- Magen Lacholeh (Medical System Guidance) 02-644-2000 www.magen.org
Counseling, Support and Rehabilitation
- Life's Door (Tishkofet Maagan) 02-631-0803 www.tishkofet.co.il
- One in Nine (breast cancer) 00-363-400 www.onein9.org.il
- Hadadi (breast cancer) 072-2432333 www.hadadi.org
- Beit Natan (women with cancer) 02-6446052 www.beitnatan.org
- Chaiyanu (children and families) 800-222-211 www.chaiyanu.org.il
- Zichron Menachem (children and families) 02-643-3001 www.zichron.org
Children and Families Support, Recreation and Respite
- Jordan River Village 04-6608999 www.jrv.org.il
- Larger Than Life 03-619-5977 www.gdolim.co.il
- Or Menachem 03-904-4411 www.or-menachem.com
- Rachashei Lev 08-852-3805 www.rachasheilev.org
- Kav-Or (Distance Learning in Hospitals) 077-717-1919 www.kavor.org.il
- Tlalim (Educational Support) 02-571-0555 www.tlalim.co.il
Other Organizations
- Yad l’Olim Healthcare Division in memory of Shira Pransky z”l www.yadlolim.org
- PELE (Wigs) 054-530-8230 www.amutapele.com
- AMEN (Myeloma Patients Guidance) 052-226-2326 www.amen.org.il
- Tmicha (Palliative Care) 054-802-6686 www.palliative.org.il
Cancer Patients in Israel: Where to Turn
Here are your primary avenues for receiving helpful information. Remember to be persistent in seeking clear and comprehensive details about assistance and the means to access it. There are multiple sources for guidance and often you need to pursue more than one.
Yad l’Olim Healthcare Absorption Specialist: Our trained staff can assist you with understanding your rights and benefits, and give you guidance and advice on how to receive certain benefits in a timely fashion.
Medical Secretaries: Secretaries in the Kupot and Hospitals are both incredibly helpful when it comes to navigating paperwork, making follow up appointments, and more. Make sure they know who you are and get the help you need!
Social Workers: Every Kupah has a social worker on staff to assist you. You can schedule an appointment with them through your branch secretary. Additionally, if you are hospitalized there will be a Hospital Social Worker who can offer the patient and their family support. Ask a secretary or nurse to set up a time to speak to the social worker in the ward.
Nurse: Oncology nurses are generally the first stop when it comes to medical questions. They are highly knowledgeable, and often eager to offer their support. These nurses can also communicate with the doctors to get additional information or answer questions.
Organization Social Workers and Other Assistance Professionals: Many patient support organizations offer guidance to the community they serve through social workers or counselors providing specialized information and assistance.
What Assistance Can You Expect?
- Information about rights and services that relate specifically to a person’s circumstances, and practical guidance on acquiring them.
- Practical insight, and some hand holding, on navigating the medical system, whether it be within the Kupat Cholim network, in the hospital, or where the two overlap.
- More practical insight and assistance with other bureaucratic institutions, like Bituach Leumi.
- Help finding and connecting with organizations dedicated to particular conditions, where there may be even more resources of specific interest to you.
- Help with emotional coping in difficult situations.
- Medical guidance regarding treatment options, and what to expect (Nurses).
A Few Tips:
- Schedule a sit-down meeting with enough time blocked out to discuss what you need.
- Delegate tasks to accomplish your goals. Note the things you need to do (e.g. call this office, obtain these documents, etc.) and the things the social worker or other person assisting you is committing to doing (e.g. calling that office, finding out about that service, getting those forms, etc.).
- Schedule the next contact. e.g. The social worker will call you in two days with some follow-up information, you will meet again in a week to fill out forms together, etc.
- Show your appreciation. Everyone in the healthcare sector chose to go into a profession dedicated to helping others.
- Contact healtchare@yadlolim.org to speak to a Healthcare Absorption Specialist who can guide and assist you.
