Confession: How much money does Israel actually spend on the sick

In a blog on Vesti, Inga Chikovani compares spending on oncology in Israel, the US, and Europe. The US spends over $200 billion a year, Europe allocates 4-8% of its healthcare budget. In Israel, the additional budget for new drugs is 650 million shekels, while requests total 3 billion. The author also mentions a patient from Moldova forced to raise funds for treatment on her own.

Inga Chikovani, a journalist turned social worker, writes a blog on Vesti about her battle with cancer. In the forty-first installment, she analyzes cancer treatment costs across countries. The US spends over $200 billion annually on oncology, leading in total and per capita spending. In Europe, costs account for 4-8% of healthcare budgets, with Germany and Switzerland spending 2.5 times more than Eastern Europe. The monthly cost of treatment is about $11,755 in the US, $8,000 in Germany, and $6,950 in Switzerland. In Israel, funding comes through the national health basket (sal ha-briut), but the additional budget for new drugs and technologies has been 650 million shekels for several years, while requests are estimated at 3 billion. Due to rising prices, this amount does not cover needs. The author ends with the example of Yulia Zaremba from Moldova, who must raise funds herself, and urges readers not to lose heart.