The Health Ministry introduced a sweeping reform to Israel’s public child development and rehabilitation services on Wednesday, aiming to address long-standing shortcomings in accessibility and equality. The overhaul comes after years of criticism from professionals who say the current system—launched in 2020—has been ineffective and fragmented.
Today, many parents face wait times of six months to a year for essential diagnostic and therapeutic services in the public system. As a result, numerous families turn to the private sector, often with the encouragement of their health funds, using a partial reimbursement model. Private sessions can cost between NIS 300 and NIS 450 for just 45 minutes, and some children require multiple sessions per week. Families with financial means can afford these treatments; those without are left behind, deepening developmental gaps among children.
What will the new reform do?
The new reform, set to take effect in September 2025, seeks to prioritize Israeli children by streamlining access to services, increasing funding, and phasing out the private reimbursement system. The plan includes an immediate investment of NIS 130 million in support grants, along with an annual increase of NIS 70 million to expand community-based services.
A key goal is to narrow disparities between central and peripheral regions and between affluent and economically disadvantaged families. The reform also aims to boost the supply of healthcare professionals, backed by a NIS 100 million wage agreement signed this week. The agreement encompasses all health funds and institutions providing speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy.
The ministry said it is working to significantly shorten wait times and ensure that all treatments are eventually conducted within health fund-based child development centers rather than through private clinics.
To maintain continuity of care, children currently receiving therapy under the reimbursement model will continue to do so. However, beginning with new patients, the system will gradually transition away from reimbursements:
September 1, 2025 – Reimbursements will be eliminated for new patients who are not considered complex cases.
September 1, 2026 – All new patients, including complex cases, will no longer be eligible for reimbursements.
September 1, 2029 – The reimbursement model will be fully phased out, including for existing patients. Health funds will be obligated to provide a suitable public alternative for every patient.
According to ministry data, 2.3 million treatments were administered in 2024, with more than 400,000 conducted under the reimbursement system. Updated wait time data has not yet been made public, though the ministry said it is finalizing a new system to reliably track and publish wait times.
In parallel, the ministry is advancing efforts to increase enrollment in health-related academic programs, part of a broader initiative to address the national shortage of qualified professionals.
Officials say the ultimate objective is to establish a fully public, accessible, and equitable system without the need for private payments or reimbursements.