Israel’s Public Committee for the Expansion of the Health Care Services Basket on Thursday submitted its 2026 recommendations to Health Minister Haim Katz, proposing new drugs and medical technologies worth a total of 650 million shekels (about $208 million) for inclusion in the country’s universal health coverage.
The committee’s decisions were submitted nearly three months late, as a result of the coalition crisis that led to the resignation in July of then-Health Minister Uriel Busso, a Shas lawmaker, over the failure to legislate the bill granting military draft exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men.
In the absence of a serving health minister – the only person authorized to appoint committee members – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich did so, belatedly.
Cancer treatments
As in previous years, oncology accounts for the largest share of the additional allocation, receiving 337 million shekels (about $107 million) – 52 percent of the total increase. Alongside new cancer drugs and treatments, this year’s list also includes early-detection tests for breast and lung cancer, as well as expanded genomic profiling for patients with gastrointestinal malignancies.
For the first time, the basket will also fund acupuncture treatments for chemotherapy patients suffering from pain. The panel approved the inclusion of preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) as part of in vitro fertilization procedures, aimed at preventing the inheritance of mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes that increase the risk of breast cancer.
In addition, the committee lowered the eligibility age for CT screening for early detection of lung cancer in smokers to 55, down from 65. The top age for this test remains 75.
The updated oncology list also includes additional breast cancer therapies, such as the use of Cabometyx for pancreatic cancer and the immunotherapy drug Keytruda for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The basket further adds a medication aimed at reducing the recurrence of brain tumors in both adults and children, as well as new treatments for metastatic lung cancer.
In addition, Imfinzi will be made available for muscle-invasive bladder cancer and stomach cancer, alongside expanded drug options for colon cancer, multiple myeloma, lymphoma, leukemia and prostate cancer.
Diabetes and obesity
The committee also expanded coverage of Ozempic, Trulicity and Rybelsus beyond the treatment of Type 2 diabetes to additional patient groups, including those with cardiovascular and kidney disease. In addition, it approved funding for flash continuous glucose monitoring systems for pregnant women with Type 2 diabetes.
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After being left out of last year’s update, the injectable Wegovy will be added to the basket in 2026 for adolescents ages 12 to 18. The funding includes a support program for an estimated 4,500 teenagers who meet strict criteria for severe obesity or related comorbidities. Most supplementary insurance plans offered by Israel’s health funds currently cover about half the cost of the drug.
The decision, however, was not unanimous. Committee members were divided over prescribing weight-loss medication to adolescents: Some argued for a holistic, multimodal approach that would not rely on pharmacological treatment, while others said the significant health risks associated with extreme obesity warranted making Wegovy available to teens.
Immunizations
One of the most contentious issues in this year’s deliberations centered on immunizations particularly the meningococcal B vaccine for infants, which was once again excluded from the basket due to its high cost and the priority given to other vaccines.
According to the Ministry, which recommends administering the first dose at two months of age, 56 cases of meningococcal disease were recorded across all age groups in Israel in 2025, including two deaths.
However, meningococcal B accounted for only eight of those infections. Rather than add the vaccine directly to the basket, the committee opted for a phased approach, deciding that public funding would be introduced later this year through an incentive mechanism to be developed by the ministry in coordination with the country’s health maintenance organizations.
In addition, eligibility for the Shingrix vaccine against shingles was expanded to begin at age 50, instead of 65, and at 18 for individuals at elevated risk.
Mental health
The committee approved the inclusion of Reagila as a first-line treatment for major depressive disorder in adults, and Auvelity as an advanced treatment option. Additionally, Guanfacine will be added as an advanced therapy for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents. Unlike most ADHD medications, Guanfacine is a non-stimulant and is intended for roughly 1,450 patients who have not responded to other standard treatments for the common developmental disorder.
Cardiology drugs and other treatments
The committee approved expanding the use of an [UNNAMED!] injectable drug to treat high levels of cholesterol in the blood, a major risk factor for atherosclerosis and heart disease, to 5,000 people from additional patient groups. A home device to administer the drug will also be funded. Treatments for dust mite allergies in children will be added to the health services basket.
The committee also approved funding for a treatment for chronic underactivity of the parathyroid gland, allocating 22 million shekels (about $7 million) for 54 patients. Around 3 million shekels (about $960,000) were earmarked to treat five patients with tumor-induced osteomalacia (TIO), a rare metabolic bone disorder.
In addition, the drug Adzynma was approved for the treatment of cTTP, a rare and serious inherited blood disorder, with roughly 40 million shekels (about $12 million) allocated for a few dozen patients. The basket will also include drugs for moderate to severe chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Drugs and treatments that were left out
More than 600 drugs and medical technologies, with a combined cost of roughly 5 billion shekels ($1.61 billion), were submitted to the committee for review. Following an extensive initial screening process, items totaling 2.5 billion shekels (about $800 million) remained under consideration in the panel’s final deliberations.
Among the notable exclusions is Leqembi, a drug designed to slow the progression of early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, which would have added an estimated 58 million shekels (about $19 million) to the basket. After a lengthy discussion, the committee decided against its inclusion, citing both the high cost and the need to establish a preliminary mechanism for identifying appropriate patients.
Another drug excluded from this year’s basket is Kalsody, intended for ALS patients with a specific genetic mutation. Including the treatment would cost 700,000 shekels (about $220,000) per patient.
The drug is registered in Israel and other countries under temporary approval for five years, but there remain gaps in evidence regarding its clinical effectiveness.
The committee also opted not to raise the eligibility age for children’s eyeglasses to 8 (up from 7) or to expand funding for amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling to women beginning at age 31 (down from 32).