The National Insurance issued a new Circular to medical staffs and branches across the country concerning a new procedure designed to significantly reduce bureaucracy, in order to exempt a child recognized with autism spectrum from being summoned to multiple medical boards over several years, and to automatically extend his entitlement to an allowance until age 18.
So far, a temporary entitlement was established for children with spectrum, according to a medical opinion that changes occurred to children in their first years of life and after accompanying treatments. Then, at age 7, children were invited to a medical board with updated medical documentation pertaining to the child's condition.
A survey conducted by the Disabilities and Rehabilitation Administration at the National Insurance, found that the eligibility of 97% of surveyed children remained unchanged. Therefore, a Circular providing significant cut in bureaucracy was issued, to cancel medical boards and grant eligibility until the age of 18 and 3 months (until the child reaches adulthood, and applicable law changes accordingly).
In other words, upon sending their child for examination, parents need to submit a claim for allowance together with the medical examination performed. Most medical boards will be held without requirement for the family to come to the National Insurance, but based on medical documentation.
For examination performed under age 3 - eligibility will be granted until 10.
For examination performed above age 3 - as said, eligibility will be granted automatically until age 18 and 3 months.
Today the National Insurance will send to 9,000 families which were expected to attend medical boards in upcoming days, to inform that they are relieved them from reaching the National Insurance and their eligibility is extended until adulthood. Besides, an authorization with confirmation of the continuity of their allowance will be sent to them.
Meir Spiegler, Genera Director of the National Insurance, said: "The National Insurance is always auditing itself, which represents the power of a durable organization.
After an in-depth survey, as part of a bureaucracy reduction policy, we have found that a very high share of parents need to deal with updates of their medical documentation, whereas an empirical analysis shows there's actually no meaningful need for it, and in practice eligibility remains unchanged. This is yet another of the many steps taken towards improvement of service to citizens, system efficiency and optimization of procedures."