Ministry of Health: Rehabilitation Devices, the Rehabilitation Basket, and Functional-Support Programs

Which Programs May Be Relevant?

Most rehabilitation and mobility devices are now funded and administered through the person's health fund. The Ministry of Health continues to set policy, price schedules, and rules, and it remains responsible for certain device types, populations, programs, or exceptions. The Ministry also administers other programs, including the Mental Health Rehabilitation Basket and assistance with financing long-term nursing hospitalization under the Ministry's "code" arrangement, and participates in assessments for home modifications.

These programs are not alternatives to General Disability. Each addresses a different need, so the first step is to identify the requested service and the agency that actually administers it.

Who May Qualify?

• People with a permanent disability who need a rehabilitation or mobility device.
• Israeli residents age 18 or older who have been assigned at least 40% psychiatric medical disability by National Insurance and meet the remaining requirements. A person who chose not to apply to National Insurance may examine eligibility through the individual rehabilitation track. For Rehabilitation Basket purposes only, that track requires a determination by a psychiatrist authorized by the Ministry of Health, in addition to the program's other requirements. Services are determined by a Rehabilitation Basket committee.
• People who need long-term nursing hospitalization and are evaluated under the applicable assistance program.
• People with limited mobility who need a home-modification assessment.

How Responsibilities Are Divided

For most rehabilitation and mobility devices, the health fund processes the request and funds assistance under the Health Basket and applicable rules. The process usually begins with a primary care physician or the health fund's nursing staff. For devices or populations excluded from the transfer of responsibility, consult the current Ministry of Health or health-fund service page to identify the correct agency.

For home modifications, the Ministry of Construction and Housing provides the funding, while health funds and district health offices assist with assessment and documentation. Rehabilitation Basket and nursing-hospitalization decisions are made through the procedure and by the authorized body for each program.

How the process works

1. 01

   Define the specific need and identify the program and agency responsible for it.

2. 02

   Contact the party that initiates the process: the health fund, a referring professional, or the appropriate department at the district health office.

3. 03

   Collect referrals, medical summaries, and functional assessments required by the program.

4. 04

   Submit the request to the agency that administers the program and proceed to the professional review or designated committee.

5. 05

   After a decision, coordinate delivery of the service with the administering agency or approved supplier.

Documents you may need

• Current medical summaries and diagnoses.
• A functional assessment describing the difficulty and the actual need.
• A referral from a physician, nurse, or other professional designated by the program.
• Reports from allied-health professionals, if required.
• For a Rehabilitation Basket request, a psychiatric-disability protocol and social-work records explaining the applicant's rehabilitation needs.
• A confidentiality waiver and identification documents, as required by the application.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Submitting the request to an agency that does not administer the requested program.
• Purchasing a device before approval and assuming the full cost will be reimbursed.
• Submitting a diagnosis without describing the functional limitation.
• Confusing a health or rehabilitation service with a cash benefit.
• Failing to check whether another agency is responsible for funding the same need.