International Women's Day, which was marked on Friday 08.03.2019, provides an opportunity to emphasize that throughout the year the Office of the Ombudsman investigates complaints which assist in the advancement of women and the protection of their rights. This can be learnt from the following complaints, which were recently investigated by the Office:
Subsidization for mothers: defects in the policy of the Ministry of Labor
In 2018, the Office of the Ombudsman received 146 complaints concerning children day care facilities. 38% of the complaints in which the investigation was completed were found justified by the Office - a percentage that is higher than the overall percentage of complaints found justified (35%).
The Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Social Services (hereafter: the Ministry of Labor) encourages the integration of mothers in the job market, by subsidizing child-care fees in the frameworks in which their children are placed, according to set criteria. Applications for the subsidy and the determination of levels of child-care fees are handled by an external center, hired by the Ministry of Labor. The Office of the Ombudsman has been monitoring the activities of the center since its establishment, and has throughout the years pointed out numerous defects found in the activities of the center and in the policy of the Ministry of Labor. As a result of the Ombudsman's intervention, the work regulations of the center and the support tests for the provision of subsidies have been changed many times.
The level of subsidization by the Ministry of Labor is determined, inter alia, according to the work hours or study hours (for the purpose of acquiring a profession) of the mother of the family. Thus, for example, according to the regulations of the Ministry of Labor, medical studies are recognized as studies for a bachelor's degree throughout the study period.
In a complaint received recently by the Office of the Ombudsman, a mother studying veterinary studies applied to the Ministry of Labor for a subsidy in child-care fees for her children, but was informed that veterinary studies are not recognized as medical studies, but as studies for a master's degree which do not grant eligibility for a subsidy.
Following the Ombudsman's intervention, the complainant received a subsidy for the school year 2018/2019, as well as reimbursement for the school year 2017/2018, to the sum of 11,000 NIS. The Ministry of Labor agreed that from now on veterinary studies would also be recognized as medical studies and would entitle mothers studying veterinary studies for a subsidy throughout the study period; in this way, they too would not be obligated to work during the study period in order to pay child-care fees for their children.
Health Fund misled beneficiary who requested pre-pregnancy genetic tests
The complainant, a young beneficiary under the Clalit Health Services Fund, requested advice concerning the tests she should carry out prior to becoming pregnant. The complainant claimed that she had received from the health fund gynecologist a referral to a medical institute that performs genetic saliva tests. After performing the test, she was surprised to discover that she had to pay 1,700 NIS for the test. In hindsight, the complainant found out that it was possible to carry out genetic tests through blood tests subsidized by the health fund and costing only 80 NIS.
In response to the Office of the Ombudsman's inquiry, "Clalit" claimed that the document received by the complainant was an information sheet given to her following a conversation between her and the doctor; it did not constitute a referral to a medical institute or test. However, perusal of the document disclosed that its wording was likely to be misleading; among other things, its title was "General Referral" and not "Information Sheet".
Upon conclusion of the investigation, the Office of the Ombudsman determined that the sheet titled "General Referral" resembled any other referral and that the doctor had thus acted unreasonably by giving it to the complainant, without clarifying that it was an information sheet only. The Office also stressed that in so far as the health fund wished to provide an information sheet to women desiring to get pregnant, the sheet should include all the necessary details to enable them to make an informed choice between the different options at their disposal, whether or not through the state "health services basket".
In light of the above, the Clalit Health Fund prepared an information sheet, detailing the genetic tests that may be performed before and during pregnancy and stating clearly which tests are not included in the "health services basket". In addition, a pregnancy-monitoring pamphlet was prepared, providing concentrated information as to the tests that may be carried out at every stage of the pregnancy - whether they are included in the "health services basket" and where to go for them. Distribution of the information sheet and the pamphlet is due to commence during the first half of 2019.