Medical insurance is a necessity for everyone. Getting to know how Israel’s healthcare system works is the first step to ensuring you have sufficient coverage.
What is Kupat Cholim?
Bituach Leumi, Israel’s National Insurance Institute, provides various social benefits, including medical coverage, to residents of Israel.
Actual medical care – including doctor’s visits, lab work, tests like x-rays and ultrasounds as well as discounted medication – are provided through health care networks known as kupot cholim.
If you are an Israeli residing in Israel, Bituach Leumi will automatically cover the cost of the basic kupat cholim services.
Returning residents and temporary residents become eligible for Bituach Leumi coverage only after a designated waiting period. During this time, they will not be eligible for any kupat cholim services during this time, so it is critical to arrange private insurance coverage until they become Bituach Leumi members.
Foreign citizens holding student visas from a Torah institution are not covered by Bituach Leumi until they have established residency in Israel (see our guides on Bituach Leumi). They may be eligible for limited kupat cholim services on a “tourist plan” (see below).
Kupat Cholim Options
Those who are Bituach Leumi members can choose between the four kupot:
| Clalit | www.clalit.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 |
Only Meuhedet and Maccabi currently offer a “Tourist Plan ” for those who are not yet Bituach Leumi members.
Kupat Cholim for Foreign Citizens
Signing up for Kupat Cholim
If you are a student, sign up for kupat cholim as soon as you arrive in Israel. You will be registered as a tourist on a “tourist plan” and will be charged accordingly. Your registration status will be reflected in your ID number, which will begin with the number 9. Signing up early helps ensure quicker coverage, especially given processing times.
Note
Medical coverage via a “tourist plan”, being a policy funded internally by the kupah and not by Bituach Leumi, is limited in its coverage.
What to Bring
- Passport
- Credit card
- Marriage license or kesubah, if applicable
- Application form, available at the clinic where you register
- Documentation of any relevant medical history or condition, including pregnancy
- Student letter from an educational institution (to qualify for student rate)
Where to register
Outside of Jerusalem, registration can be done in person at your local kupat cholim branch.
For Meuhedet registration in Jerusalem, foreigners must go to the office near the Mir yeshiva on Beis Yisroel 2.
Office hours: Sunday – Thursday 10 am – 5 pm
Phone: 02-6503392 or 02-6503219 Fax: 03-7982355. Email: TouristJer@meuhedet.co.il .
For Maccabi registration, call Shimon Klein at 052-761-1203 (or email b5000883@gmail.com). Alternatively, visit Maccabi’s clinic in Ramat Eshkol on Paran 13 and speak to Mrs. Gitty Weinbaum at 02-5060630 (between the hours of 8:30 am-12:00 pm Sunday-Thursday).
Tell the secretary that you want to register with the kupah and she will begin the process.
Joining Kupat Cholim Without Bituach Leumi
Joining a kupah as a non-resident has several drawbacks:
Incomplete Coverage: Hospital stays (especially related to pregnancy and birth) and procedures not regularly performed in kupah-affiliated clinics may not be covered, even with supplementary insurance.
Pre-existing medical conditions
Those with preexisting medical conditions are often not accepted.
Note
Advanced stages of pregnancy is considered a preexisting condition.
You should work toward acquiring Bituach Leumi by ensuring that your legal status is properly established – i.e., obtaining an A-category visa or completing your Aliyah or returning resident process. See our guide on Bituach Leumi for further information.
Once You Have Bituach Leumi
Once registered with Bituach Leumi, your kupat cholim status will be updated automatically. This also applies to those who make Aliyah from within Israel after joining a kupah as a non-citizen.
New kupat cholim cards bearing your new Bituach Leumi 77 numbers will be mailed to you.
Call your clinic to confirm that your previous account was merged with your new one.
Bituach Leumi membership covers only the basic kupat cholim plan. Fees for supplemental insurance (e.g., Meuhedet C) will continue to be charged as before (see below).
Registering a New Baby
Israeli Citizens
- Babies born in Israel are automatically registered.
- Babies born abroad must first be added to a parent’s teudat zehut before registration with a kupah.
Foreign Citizens
Registration is not automatic. Registration must be done before the baby turns one month old to ensure coverage in case of hospitalization.
If a baby is re-hospitalized before registration, the hospital stay will not be covered – even retroactively. Moreover, kupat cholim does not accept foreign applicants hospitalized in the last five days. Therefore, a baby re-hospitalized after birth must wait five days from discharge to apply for kupat cholim.
To register:
- Present the michtav shichrur (hospital discharge letter) at the kupah clinic.
- For babies born abroad or over one month old, bring a letter from a Meuhedet pediatrician (seen privately) attesting to the baby’s health.
Note
In Jerusalem, this letter can be obtained from Dr. Ben Ari 058-6130911 / 02-6458613 or from Dr. Risak (Soritzkin Clinic) 02-546-4000.
Note
Babies over three months old will only be accepted to a kupah once they have Bituach Leumi.
If you want supplementary insurance, confirm activation with the secretary during registration. Supplementary insurance is never automatic — even if the entire family is already paying for that plan. Such a mistake can cause much aggravation, since many benefits require a waiting period before eligibility kicks in.
Meuhedet offers foreign citizens up to six months of free coverage for newborns.
In Jerusalem, registration should be done with Pinchas Starick, manager of the branch opposite Mir yeshiva.
Apply for a passport, visa and Bituach Leumi for your new baby as soon as possible. The child risks losing kupat cholim coverage if they are not a Bituach Leumi member in a timely fashion.
If the baby’s michtav shichrur mentions a medical condition or issue requiring follow-up, kupah acceptance may require prior Bituach Leumi registration.
Jaundice: Meuhedet will only register the baby once the bilirubin is under 10, or lower than discharge level. Provide updated bilirubin results (in writing, signed and stamped by a private nurse or mohel) to the Meuhedet clinic to register. If bilirubin results have not improved since hospital discharge, the baby will need retesting until improvement is noted.
If your baby is denied kupat cholim registration due to a medical condition, contact Chaim V’Chessed for assistance in obtaining Bituach Leumi registration as soon as possible.
After registration, the child will receive a temporary ID number (starting with 9). Once registered with Bituach Leumi, they will receive a permanent number (starting with 77). Ensure old and new accounts are merged properly.
Supplementary Insurance
It is highly advisable to enroll in supplemental medical insurance, in addition to the basic plan. This can be arranged through the local kupah clinic.
Supplementary insurance (called bituach mashlim) offers:
- Additional medications
- Consultations with external specialists
- Dental care
- Private surgeries
- Overseas treatments
- Alternative medicine
- Various discounts
Tip
Start supplementary coverage early to begin the waiting period for key benefits. This is especially valuable for children.
It is highly advisable to register for a supplementary insurance program. This applies for all family members: men, women and children. 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 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.
Supplementary Plans Offered
Meuhedet – Adif, C and Zahav
Maccabi – Zahav, Sheli and Siudi
Clalit – Zahav, Platinum, and Siudi
Leumit – Kesef, Zahav and Siudi
Supplemental insurance is always paid out-of-pocket, even for Bituach Leumi members.
Online Access
You can manage your kupat cholim account online to make payments, book appointments, and view lab work results and medical history.
To activate online access, visit your clinic to receive a temporary username and password. Each adult has their own account. Children under age 18 will appear under their parent’s account.
Switching Kupot Cholim
Members can switch to another kupah twice in a 12 month period, beginning from the time they registered. Coverage, including supplementary insurance, continues, though some benefits may require a new waiting period. Details should be clarified with the new kupah.
How to Switch Kupot
Switching kupot can be done at the Doar (appointment required). Bring along your passport, valid visa and Bituach Leumi card (found under אשורים on one’s Bituach Leumi online account or can be obtained by emailing darkon@nioi.gov.il). Complete the form and pay a 20 NIS fee.
Requests can be submitted during six designated transfer periods. The transfer takes effect at a later date, see the chart below.
Once you’ve completed the process at the post office, send the documents to Chaim V’Chessed by email. We’ll notify your Meuhedet branch about the transfer.
Transfer of Medical Information
Your old kupah must transfer essential medical records to the new kupah, free of charge.
You can choose whether the data will be transferred directly from the old kupah to the new one or via the member themself.
Both kupot are required to notify the member by direct mail of his rights to receive a summary of his medical information in one of the following ways:
- Directly from the clinic.
- Via registered mail.
- Via email.
- Download it from the kupat cholim’s website using a username and password.
Ramifications on Supplementary Insurance and Long-Term Care (Si’udi) Rights
Check whether the new kupah will honor your previous waiting period for supplementary insurance. For long-term care (bituach si’udi) – proper documentation must be submitted within 180 days of joining. This coverage is not automatic.
