Israeli medical care isn’t the pain in my neck

It all started with a pain in my neck. Traveling in the Czech Republic, I woke up with a very sore neck that radiated down my back. A few ibuprofens later, I was fine. But when I returned to Israel, the pain came back and lingered. 

As I tried to clean for Passover, my back stopped letting me bend down. I waited a week and decided to go to an orthopedic doctor. A CT scan and many ibuprofens later, I was diagnosed with a herniated disc in my lower back. 

As I looked up “herniated disc” and its treatments on WebMD (never a good idea), I freaked out. How could this happen to me at such a young age? I felt somewhat helpless for the first time since moving to Israel.

Thankfully, the medical system in Israel is quite good. It’s also pretty different from the American system. First, appointments are only supposed to last 10 minutes. This is probably why a doctor can fit so many visits into one day, and also why it’s so easy to a see a doctor within a day or two of requesting an appointment. It only took a week between the time I had my preliminary appointment with the orthopedist to the time I had a CT scan and diagnosis. The 10-minute appointments are really great for minor issues, but can be frustrating if you have many questions.

In addition, I pay very little for my health care coverage. For the mid-range health care option I chose, I pay just over $10 per month. In Israel, you choose the health care company you prefer and all of your insurance is through them. I chose Maccabi health care. The closest branch to my house is only five minutes away! When I call for an appointment, I usually get one for the next day. 

In order to get the diagnostics test, I had to get an approval from the central insurance company of Maccabi. They granted me approval within 24 hours, and I scheduled a CT scan at Haddasah Ein Kerem Hospital a few days later.

The next business day, I was back with my doctor who, in 10 minutes, diagnosed my problem.