The article was written In collaboration with Zhuti
Recently, the Ministry of Health published new data on the distribution of diabetics in Israel, according to geographic, sectarian and socio-economic differences. The data clearly show that diabetes is one of the most significant causes of death in Israel, with the morbidity rate in Israel being much higher than the European average.
It is no secret that the social policy of the State of Israel makes social security extremely difficult. The supported population in Israel is growing at a rapid rate, while the supporting population is shrinking (at least in percentage terms). In addition to this, over the years more and more Israelis have developed an awareness of their medical rights, and have begun to demand them from the state institutions even more strongly. This cocktail of factors led to a significant depletion of funds in the National Insurance.
The Mossad has no choice but to harden its positions and act less and less 'in front of the law'. And this situation requires diabetics who need disability percentages (and not only them) to try harder than ever, just to get what they deserve from the state.
Wait a minute with the strategies
But before talking about new strategies, let's shed some light on the standard procedure for requiring disability percentages, as many Israelis find it difficult to understand.
Even before you approach to demand recognition of disability in the National Insurance, it is important that you understand if you meet the basic conditions for this and if indeed you have a reasonable chance of receiving them. You must ask yourself: Does my diabetes reduce my ability to earn a living as usual? Does my diabetes prevent me from making a living at all? If you answered yes to at least one of these questions, you have reasonable grounds to be recognized as entitled to disability benefits. It should be noted that these threshold conditions are also relevant for those whose occupation is the household (male husbands and housewives).
Please note that, in principle, applicants for disability percentages must be between the ages of 18 and retirement age. Young people aged 16-18 can also file a claim to receive a general disability allowance, but only if they were recognized by the state as 'minor workers' near the time of their loss of earning capacity. Those who file the claim after retirement may be entitled to an allowance if social security arrives to the conclusion that they began to meet the eligibility conditions at least 90 days before their retirement.
Better early
A diabetic who thinks he deserves a percentage of disability should submit a B.L. form. 7801 to the National Insurance Institute and attach several documents to it: a medical summary from the attending physician, summaries of hospitalizations, summaries of treatments he underwent due to his illness, and the like. After receiving the documents, National Insurance will determine whether the claimant's disability will be terminated based solely on the documents he submitted, or whether he will have to appear before the institution's medical committee.
Indeed, appearing in front of the medical committee is not an easy situation, since many of those required to appear before it feel that they are being examined 'under a magnifying glass'. But in some cases, there is no escape but to face this obstacle.
Unfortunately, this is not the only problem experienced by the claimants of the commission. Many claimants come to it without critical documents and without being prepared with all the arguments required in order to convince the committee members that they should indeed be recognized as disabled. Coming to the committee prepared - both in terms of documents and in terms of arguments - is something that is critical. And it is precisely at this point that many claims for disability percentages fall.
If the diabetic patient's claim was not approved, or it was approved not to his satisfaction (he received less than he thinks he deserves), he can appeal the institution's decision up to 60 days from the day it was received. In some cases, Social Security may accept appeals received up to 90 days after the decision was made, but it is best to file the appeal as early as possible.
The best solution right now?
In a reality where there are so many diabetics in Israel, it is no wonder that the medical rights of so many of them fall by the wayside. It is the role of the state to take care of its citizens, but in too many cases, the hand of the state is short of saving. Since no one wants to give up their medical rights because of external factors, it is not surprising that so many Israelis nowadays choose to turn to companies that deal with the exploitation of medical rights in order to receive the percentage of disability they believe they deserve. And maybe it really is the best solution a citizen has right now.