Last updated: December 15, 2020
Medical insurance is a must for everyone. Getting to know how Israel’s healthcare system works is the first step toward making sure you have sufficient coverage.
Bituach Leumi, Israel’s National Insurance Institute, offers subsidized medical services through health care providers known as kupot cholim. If you are an Israeli residing in Israel, you automatically have access to Bituach Leumi and kupat cholim. Olim, who are eligible for Bituach Leumi benefits immediately after making Aliyah, are also granted immediate access to kupat cholim services.
Returning residents, temporary residents, and students are not eligible for kupat cholim through Bituach Leumi until they have established residency in Israel (see our guides on Bituach Leumi). Until they do, it is critical that they be covered privately, either by foreign insurance or through the non-subsidized tourist plan of the kupah of their choice.
There are several kupot cholim to choose from. Currently, only Meuhedet and Maccabi offer a “passport plan” for those who do not yet have Bituach Leumi membership.
Clalit: www.clalit-global.co.il *2700
Maccabi: www.maccabi4u.co.il 1-700-505-353 *3555
Meuhedet: www.meuhedet.co.il *3833
Leumit: www.leumit.co.il 1-700-507-507 *507
Kupat Cholim for Foreign Citizens
If you are a temporary resident or student, you can and should sign up for kupat cholim as soon as you arrive in Israel. You will be registered as a tourist. Your registration status will be reflected in your ID number, which will begin with the number 9. Signing up early means getting covered faster, especially with the processing time taken into account.
What to Bring
Passport
Credit card
Marriage license or kesubah, if applicable
Form of application, available at the clinic at which you register
Documentation of any medical history or current condition, including pregnancy, in case it is requested
Student letter from yeshiva or institution (to qualify for student rate)
Where?
You can register for membership in most kupat cholim clinics. For Meuhedet registration, the most efficient choices for foreigners registering for Meuhedet in Yerushalayim are the office opposite the Mir yeshiva (Pnchas Starick) and the clinic on Chagai 22 in Geulah (Shaindy). For Maccabi registration, visit Maccabi’s Paran clinic.
Tell the secretary that you want to register with the kupah and she will begin the process.
Registering with Bituach Leumi
When you join a kupat cholim as a non-resident, there are several drawbacks.
Coverage is incomplete. The kupah will not cover the cost of many hospital stays, including pregnancy- and birth-related hospitalizations. Coverage for procedures that are not regularly performed in one of their own clinics can often be denied. This applies even to those who purchase supplementary insurance through the kupah (see below).
Those with preexisting medical conditions are often not accepted.
While supplementary insurance (see below) is an option for tourists, they may be denied supplementary coverage depending on their health history.
You should be working toward acquiring Bituach Leumi by ensuring that your status is legally established as soon as possible; i.e. obtaining an A-category visa or finalizing your returning resident/Oleh process. See our guide on Bituach Leumi for further information.
Once You Have Bituach Leumi
Once registered with Bituach Leumi, visa holders must re-register with their kupat cholim under their Bituach Leumi number. This does not happen automatically. This also applies to those who make Aliyah from within Israel after having joined a kupat cholim as a non-citizen.
Each new member must appear in person at a post office with his/her passport and acceptance letter from Bituach Leumi. Pay about 16 NIS to re-register for your kupat cholim. Within the next few weeks, new kupat cholim cards will arrive in the mail bearing a number that is identical to the new Bituach Leumi numbers.
Visit a kupat cholim clinic in order to merge your old account with your new one. Until you explicitly instruct the kupah to cancel your passport plan, you will continue to be charged separately for it.
Registering a New Baby
For Israeli citizens born in Israel, kupat cholim registration happens automatically. An Israeli baby born outside Israel must first be registered on his or her parents’ teudot zehut before he or she can be registered with kupat cholim. Foreign citizens must notify their kupat cholim about their new child as soon as the child is discharged from the hospital.
For foreign citizens, kupat cholim registration will not happen automatically and it is vital that your child be covered immediately should the need arise. If a child is re-hospitalized shortly after birth and is not yet covered by kupat cholim, the hospital stay cannot be covered even retroactively. Moreover, kupat cholim does not accept applicants who have been hospitalized within the last five days — meaning that a baby re-hospitalized after birth must wait until after the hospitalization to apply for kupat cholim.
If you are a foreign citizen, you must present your child’s michtav shichrur (discharge certificate from the hospital) at your kupat cholim clinic when registering. If you want your baby covered by supplementary insurance, make sure the kupah secretary activates it while you are speaking to her. Neither Israeli nor non-Israeli children are automatically registered for supplementary insurance — even if the entire family is already paying for that plan. The mistake can cause a lot of aggravation later, especially because many benefits require a waiting period before eligibility kicks in.
Meuhedet offers foreign citizens up to six months of free coverage for newborns. Be sure to take care of getting your new baby a passport and Bituach Leumi in as timely a fashion as possible. Waiting too long before getting your child a visa can be problematic in regard to Bituach Leumi.
If your child will be a Meuhedet member, he or she will need to wait for approval from the national headquarters in Tel Aviv unless you register with one of the following Meuhedet managers: Shaindy at Chagai 22 and Pinchas Starick at the office opposite Mir yeshiva.
If a child’s teudat shichrur identifies a preexisting condition or pending medical review, parents may be instructed to visit a private doctor for a letter dispelling the issue prior to acceptance. Additionally, foreign citizens who give birth abroad must present a letter from a doctor in Israel stating that their baby is in good health in order for the child to join kupat cholim before he or she is a Bituach Leumi member.
Note on jaundice for Meuhedet registration: When discharge papers say that bilirubin must be checked, parents can have the baby checked and bring Meuhedet a signed and stamped letter with the results. If results are lower than 10, or higher than 10 but lower than the level at discharge, parents can present the latest results to the office opposite the Mir and register. (A letter from a mohel that states that the bris was done on time is also acceptable.) If bilirubin results are not improved since hospital discharge, the baby will need to be re-tested until results show an improvement.
Once registered, the child will receive a temporary number beginning with 99. Once the child is on Bituach Leumi, he or she will receive a new permanent number.
Supplementary Insurance
Kupot cholim offer their members supplementary insurance programs (bituach mashlim). This additional coverage, paid for directly by members to the kupot, includes services and products beyond the basic set of services. These may include a wider selection of medications; consultations with professionals outside of the health plan; second opinions; dental procedures; private operations; surgeries abroad; emergency care; complementary medicine such as chiropractic therapy and homeopathy; and other special bonuses and discounts. After signing up for supplementary insurance, there is usually a waiting period before you can access certain services, even though you must start paying full price right away.
Age and/or preexisting medical conditions are irrelevant when applying for supplementary insurance. However, the kupah will deny a supplementary insurance plan to someone with a preexisting condition if he/she does not have Bituach Leumi.
It is highly advisable to register for a supplementary insurance program. By signing up promptly to both a basic and a supplementary plan, you can begin waiting periods for important medical procedures and assistance. The cost of full coverage insurance in Eretz Yisroel is negligible compared to fairly basic plans in other countries. Children especially stand to gain from the benefits of supplementary insurance. Be proactive for your family’s future health and stay on the safe side.
Meuhedet Supplementary Insurance Terms
Meuhedet Adif – basic complementary insurance package recommended for everyone, providing coverage for extra drugs, surgical procedures and treatments overseas, special consultations and discounts on a variety of treatments
Meuhedet C – highest level of insurance offered by Meuhedet, with even more discounts and benefits for members, including refunds on private doctor’s visits, pregnancy and birth-related benefits, alternative medicine, and dentistry and eye care
Meuhedet Zahav – supportive nursing insurance
Maccabi Supplementary Insurance Terms
Maccabi Sheli - basic complementary insurance package recommended for everyone, providing coverage for child development services, extra drugs, surgical procedures and treatments overseas, special consultations and discounts on a variety of treatments
Maccabi Zahav - highest level of insurance offered by Maccabi, with even more discounts and benefits for members, including refunds on private doctor’s visits, pregnancy and birth-related benefits, alternative medicine, and dentistry and eye care
Maccabi Siudi - supportive nursing insurance
Online Access
Your entire kupat cholim account can be managed online. With online access, you can make payments, book appointments, and view lab work results and all your medical records. To sign up for the service, visit any clinic and request activation of your online account. You’ll receive a temporary username and password. Children under age 18 will appear under the mother’s account. Once they pass that age they need to activate their own accounts.