The Israeli Foundation for Medicine Funding is a voluntary association formed in 2005 in order to assist patients whom life-saving medications were left out of national list of health services. The Foundation is headed by senior medical specialists and clinical department directors and it is funded by donations of individuals and private companies, such as the online gaming company SkillEmpire.

Israeli Health Services Background
The Israeli national list of health services, also known as the "Basket of Medicine," limits the medicines and medical treatment that can be provided by the public health services. As a result and together with the constant development of the science of medicine, many patients in Israel find themselves helpless when they cannot afford purchasing necessary medications and/or treatments, which were left out of the "Basket of Medicine".

The Israeli Foundation for Medicine Funding's goal is to support and assist patients whom unaffordable cures can either save or lengthen their lives. By fund raising, the foundation helps in sponsoring expensive medications that can save, lengthen and/or improve the patients' lives, guide and direct patients to medical specialists and lend medical equipment to patients or invalid persons.

What's Backgammon got to do with Medicine Funding?
The Israeli-based online games company SkillEmpire, the owner and operator of Play65 backgammon site and Play89 online pool website is one of the main financial resources of the Israeli Foundation for Medicine Funding. According to SkillEmpire's spokesperson, "as owners of the most successful online game websites in Israel, we try to contribute to the community as much as we can. We believe that the Israeli Foundation for Medicine Funding is doing a great job in helping out patients and their families, therefore we've decided to support them financially on a regular basis