Maccabi Healthcare Services is launching a new insurance program which will cover every prescription drug in the world, which is not already in the government's basket of approved drugs. The program will be provided through Migdal Insurance and Financial Holdings Ltd. (TASE: MGDL).
The health fund confirmed this morning an earlier "Globes" report about the program. The policy is an option for customers of its premium "Zahav" supplementary health insurance. For households in which the oldest person is below the age of 54, the additional monthly premium will be NIS 19.50 per family. When a household has an adult above the age of 54, the additional monthly premium rises to NIS 49 month. This is in addition to the supplementary insurance premium.
As the premium is per family, it is especially worthwhile for large families.
The policy allows customers not only to obtain prescription medications from around the world, but also to obtain cancer fighting drugs that have not yet been registered or proven effective by research.
In contrast to other private insurance policies, the Migdal policy does not require a physician's signature, so that the elderly and ill can join as well. However, patients who already need a specific drug not in the government's health basket, before joining the policy, cannot be insured for it.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on March 4, 2010
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