No one ever expects to need insurance, but when the unexpected occurs, it is essential that proper measures be in place.
The purpose of insurance is to protect individuals should the need for care arise,
and in Israel a foreign worker does not have access to the public health system, which means that should he/she fall ill.
He/she will be without coverage. Fortunately, any employer in Israel is required to provide for at least minimum standards of insurance coverage for all employees.
What Should Be Covered?
A normal foreign worker’s insurance policy should cover a variety of situations that might arise.
To ensure that you are getting proper coverage, consider the following as musts:
- Basic drug costs that might be needed
- Visits to a primary care physician
- Specialist care such as a gynecologist or internal medicine
- 24 hour availability for doctor home visits with two hours of patient referral
- Lab tests and other coverage expenses
- Emergency room and ambulance treatment
- Outpatient surgery from a doctor’s referral
- Emergency psychiatric care for up to two months
- Pregnancy coverage, including any issues that arise during pregnancy.
Any policy found should have these options at a minimum, but many employers will offer additional benefits.
Sometimes these additional benefits can mean a big difference, but at the very least these minimum standards
need to be met for all foreign workers.
Always be Prepared
Since foreign workers are not covered by the public health system, it is necessary that they have some form of protection should anything happen. Beyond the legal requirements to offer healthcare benefits, it is simply good practice to always have insurance.
Employees who are offered insurance benefits are more likely to feel appreciated and will put more interest into their work.
More importantly, when the unexpected does occur and a worker is either injured or ill,
the medical benefits will help ensure that he/she does not have an exorbitant amount of out-of-pocket expenses to deal with.
Additionally, the National Insurance Institute in Israel requires that employees be offered further social benefits to protect them for potential hardships.
Regardless of what industry you are in, make sure that any foreign workers are fully ensured to meet the guidelines.
If not, there can be serious legal consequences. More importantly, when injury comes to one of these employees, he/she will have to deal with the medical expenses on his/her own. Don’t allow this to be the case, and always stay prepared.