Dentistry in Israeli National Health Insurance Law: The Public's Opinion

In Israel, oral health is not included within the National Health Insurance Law (NHIL). One of the potential reasons which have been suggested is that oral health is perceived as a low priority health issue among Israelis. Objectives: To investigate the perceptions and attitudes of the Israeli public towwards inclusion of dental health within the NHIL. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional telephone interview survey. The study was carried out among Israeli households, questioning one family member over the age of 18 years. A representative sample of 1009 households was acquired, with a response rate of 51% (N=514). Questionnaires were translated into Arabic and Russian. Results: 91% of the interviewees defined dentistry as a very important potential component of the NHIL. More women than men reported that dentistry is very important (93.1% vs. 87.7%, p<0.05); more Arabic speakers than Jews reported that dentistry is very important (95.9% vs. 90.2%, p<0.05); more Russian speaking immigrants (after 1989) than people born in Israel reported that dentistry is very important (95.6% vs. 88.6%, p<0.01). Among the study population, 27.5% thought that the target population (for inclusion of dental care) should be children, while 24.5% and 18.7%, respectively, cited needy and elderly populations. 71.4% of the population believed that the government should finance the potential dental component within the NHIL. Conclusion: This survey clearly demonstrates that the Israeli population strongly and significantly supports the inclusion of dental care within the NHIL.