Checkup on Israeli Doctors

According to Bloomberg’s 2014’s Most Efficient Health Care report, Israel ranked in seventh place among 51 countries and ahead of prominent Western countries like the US and Canada, its high rating can also be attributed due to the high level of doctors’ professionalism.

Top Doctors in Israel

Israel is accredited for its early detection and prevention of chronic diseases like diabetes, for example, ensuring minimizing of any unnecessary hospital stays and medical expenses. In addition, following post-surgery, for instance, patients are discharged from hospital if their health status is regarded as satisfactory, they are offered treatment on an outpatient basis this reduces the load on hospitals, enabling the availability of treatment for all patients.

Hospitals in Israel offer popular treatment options for medical tourists that include cardiac surgery (in particular, successful bypass surgeries); IVF (higher success rates than most other countries); cancer treatment; orthopedic treatment; plastic surgery and more.

The cost of all the aforementioned treatments is considerably lower in Israel than the cost of treatment in the US – including coverage of hotels, airfare, and other expenses. The quality of treatment and care in Israel is uncompromised and regarded as comparable to that of the US and Europe. In addition, Bloomberg’s data on Israel’s healthcare cost as a percentage of GDP per capita is 7% (compared to the US – 17.2%).

Medical professionalism is highly defined among all Israeli doctors across all field of medicine, renowned for their excellence and dedication in their respective fields. The Ministry of Health in Israel oversees all medical professional qualifications. Once qualified, doctors continue to study further in-depth, choosing to do their fellowships at prestigious institutions abroad. Medical training can take from 4.5 years to 6 years, combining further training and rigorous exams.

Doctors continually extend their field of expertise by completing further certifications, as well as attending (and presenting) at conferences and/ or courses within their field of specialization. Israeli doctors obtain their independence after 13-15 years of training, where they have the opportunity to practice private – Orthopedics requires the longest period of training. The myriad of expertise among Israeli doctors has led to many speaking at prestigious conferences across the world and having numerous work published in renowned international medical journals and medical books.

Israel’s Healthcare System

There are 4 major health insurers of the Israeli health system, called HMO’s (Health Maintenance Organizations); for a relatively low monthly fee HMO members receive basic medical services such as doctor consultations, lab tests, specific scans and more. This system has proven successful as in 2013, Bloomberg ranked the Israeli healthcare system fourth in the world for its efficiency out of 48 countries, including the US.

Each HMO has its own specialists, laboratories and diagnostic equipment; patients can also choose to supplement their basic healthcare insurance. A patient is only referred to a public hospital for specific procedures or surgery, the cost of which is partially or fully covered by the HMO. Alongside the HMO, Israel also has a private medical sector.

Healthcare in Israel – Competitive Costs

In order for a physician in Israel to advance in their career, he or she must work in a public hospital or HMO clinic. Therefore, many of Israel’s top doctors are accessible to the public, charge set fees according to the HMO affiliation, which is why Israeli medical care is relatively cheaper than that of overseas healthcare, while providing optimum healthcare to local, and international patients with the use of innovative technologies – give Israel its leading edge.

Herzliya Medical Center prides itself in delivering quality healthcare by internationally recognized specialists, many of which have had their work published in scientific journals and books.