The Implementation of the Dental Reform in the South Israel

Introduction: Since 2007 some dental treatments were included by the HMO's as additional components to the National Health Basket (NHB) but the dental component of the NHB was negligible. Since July 1st, 2010, dental treatments for children up to 8years are included in the NHB. The Dental Department of the Southern Regional Office of the Ministry of Health has to cope with specific problems due to the geographic distance from the Center of the country, the scarcity of dental professionals, the difficulty in mobilization of suppliers for the HMO's and the diversity of the population that requires cultural suitability of the providers. Objectives: To describe the implementation of the Dental Reform in the Southern Region. Methods: Use of information sources: The National Insurance Institute provides information about the dispersing of different HMO's members; inspection reports of the Ministry of Health inspectors at suppliers' clinics; HMO's responses to the inspection reports; personal conclusions of the inspectors. Results: We will describe the implementation of the Reform, the results and conclusions of the inspections, and the preparations for the broadening of the reform (the including of children up to age of 10). In some cities (Be'er Sheva, Eilat, Netivot) there are difficulties due to bureaucracy, in the Bedouin villages there is a scarcity of local dental providers as well as in remote Jewish communities (Mitspe Ramon, Arava), as expected. Conclusions: The Dental Reform was successfully implemented in the Southern District despite several difficulties.