Utilization of Health Services by IDF Soldiers and Civilian Population at an Israeli HMO

Abstract

Background: Over the past decades we have witnessed an increase in expenditure on health services in the various military systems. One of the ways to curb costs is by means of outsourcing. Based on this idea the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) promoted a project allowing soldiers to receive medical care from a nearby civilian HMO (Meuhedet). The medical basket provided to the soldiers is more extensive than that to civilians, furthermore the soldiers received all the health services they needed from the HMO without copayments. Objectives: The overall-objective of this study was to examine the consumption of medical services by conscript and standing army soldiers in comparison to that by the civilian population of similar age. Methods: A retrospective study comparing consumption of medical services between the population of soldiers and the civilian population. Populations and samples: The military population included 4530 IDF soldiers, who were ascribed to Meuhedet over the course of 2012. The civilian population included members of Meuhedet who do not have any disabilities. Data analysis: Using SPSS software, we used a comparison of averages test using the independent-samples T-test with a level of significance of 5%. Results: The military personnel tend to consume considerably more medical care than their civilian counterparts. Conclusion: In order to maintain the outsourcing of medical services for military personnel by the HMO, either the HMO’s revenue on their account must be higher or a system curbing their consumption of medical services must be put in place.