Oleg Vyshniakov - Ukraine and Israel. Medical insurance for Israelis and Ukrainians.

Today I want to talk to you about such an important issue as health. It's a known fact that to insure ones life and health is extremely expensive in Ukraine, and prices of medicines and medical services in good clinics increase in proportion to the foreign currencies. Common insurance costs several times more than a monthly salary of a Ukrainian. And if we take into account the fact that according to statistics, we spend half of our income on food and another one for house holding and utilities, it appears that there is no money left for health problems.

So: insurance in Ukraine is inconvenient, inaccessible and expensive issue. Ukrainians has no custom to think about their health in advance. Unfortunately the Ukrainian government pays minimum attention to this problem.

Meanwhile in Israel there is the Health Insurance Act which became effective 20 years ago (since 1995). The government does everything possible for its citizens to be healthy and receive necessary medical aid in time. The Israelis don’t think over the issue whether to insure their lives or not. This procedure is obligatory for each citizen, should it be an average worker, a pensioner or a general manager in an international company.

In Israel all are on an equal footing and the state cares its people equally. All those working deduct a percentage of their salaries, pensioners pay a percentage of their retirement benefits and so on. The amount varies from 10 to 12 percent. Each "health package" includes the possibility of a general hospitalization, medical rehabilitation, medicines provision and necessary medical equipment, etc.

In addition to the various state insurance programs, you can also buy individual health insurance. Competition, as well as request of people for life insurance, is large. The insurance managers will do everything for you to become a customer of their company.

Israeli society has unique culture of insurance and as the result the level of medicine in the country is considered to be one of the highest in the world. Israelis are also known to be the long-livers of the planet. According to statistics the average citizen of Israel lives about 82 years! In Ukraine this figure is 70 years and every year it continues to decrease.

So maybe it's time for Ukrainian government to think over how to provide its citizens with proper care and support during their illness? From taking care of newborns in hospitals till making the qualitative diagnosis of the senior people in special centers. I am sure that health and welfare of citizens should always be the priority interests for those in power.