recent initiatives to remove user fees at mother and infant care centres and extend preventative dental cover for young children are positive steps similarly ceilings on insurance and medicines costs help provide some protection from outofpocket costs that israeli patients are likely to face policy makers should limit further increases in copayments and consider the equity implications of decisions taken in the annual update of the insurance basket the government should also monitor the efficacy safety net mechanisms and if needed consider expanding those to a wider range of households with lower incomes and high health needs