Israel – Doctors

How does the healthcare system in Israel work, and does it cover expats?

Israel’s healthcare framework is grounded in the National Health Insurance Law of 1995, which obliges all citizens residing in the country to join one of four officially recognised health insurance organisations, referred to as Kupat Holim (“Patient Funds”). These are run as not-for-profit bodies and are legally barred from refusing membership to any Israeli resident.

Residents choose from four competing non-profit health plans, each providing a mandated package of benefits covering hospital care, primary and specialist services, mental health, maternity care, prescription medications, and more. There are no deductibles, though some cost-sharing applies for specialist visits and medications. This model resembles a social insurance structure but differs from systems like Germany’s statutory Krankenkassen or France’s Assurance Maladie in that funding flows through a single national tax rather than employment-linked contributions to separate funds.

The compulsory insurance system draws its financing primarily from a national income tax and an income-related health levy. The Health Basket encompasses the full cost of medical diagnosis and treatment across a broad range of areas: family medicine, hospitalisation, preventive care, surgery, organ transplants, maternity and fertility services, medications listed on the National Health Basket, chronic disease management, and mental health treatment.

Israel’s NHI system covers all residents regardless of whether contributions have been paid. The four competing health plans serve simultaneously as service providers and payers, operate throughout the country, and cannot turn away applicants. Coverage is extensive, though foreign workers are required to hold private health insurance, and adult refugees, asylum-seekers, and undocumented migrants fall outside the system’s scope.

Expats employed by an Israeli company are typically enrolled in state healthcare automatically. Those who are self-employed or retired must apply for coverage directly, either through the public system or via private arrangements. Israel’s public healthcare does not extend to tourists or non-permanent residents. The most authoritative and up-to-date information on eligibility is available from the Bituach Leumi (National Insurance Institute) and the Israeli Ministry of Health.

How do you find and register with a doctor in Israel?

To gain access to healthcare services, eligible residents in Israel must join one of the four public health providers collectively known as Kupot Cholim. The four options — Maccabi, Meuhedet, Leumit, and Clalit — are each obliged by law to offer the same standard Health Basket and Medication Basket. Your choice of fund is a significant one, however, since each maintains its own network of clinics, hospitals, and pharmacies.

The Ministry of Health provides an online comparison tool that lets you evaluate all four Kupat Cholim on the basis of services and fees. When making your decision, consider which fund has clinics conveniently near your home, what languages the staff speak, and which supplementary services are available in your area. Each organisation runs its own medical facilities, and members are permitted to transfer between schemes twice a year on specified dates.

New immigrants making aliyah (Jewish immigration to Israel) benefit from the most straightforward registration pathway. New olim have the opportunity to enrol in healthcare immediately upon arriving at Ben Gurion Airport. Registration can be completed on arrival at the airport itself, at Israel Post branches, or later through Bituach Leumi.

Once you have selected a fund and established residency, in-person registration requires several key documents. You will need your Teudat Zehut (Israeli identity card) and Teudat Oleh (immigration certificate). Those who made aliyah from abroad should bring the forms issued to them at Ben Gurion Airport. Present these at a branch of your chosen Kupat Cholim to complete registration; you will then receive a personal magnetic membership card for each household member, which you will be required to produce at every medical appointment and healthcare facility visit.

After registration, you select a primary care physician — referred to as a Rofeh Mishpacha (family doctor) — from within your health fund’s network. This doctor will oversee most of your medical care and coordinate specialist referrals. You may change your family doctor once per quarter if needed. Appointments can be scheduled through the fund’s mobile app, website, or by calling the clinic directly.

For detailed guidance on the registration process, consult the Bituach Leumi website or the website of your chosen Kupat Cholim. All four funds publish information in both English and Hebrew.

1. Obtain your Israeli ID (Teudat Zehut): Issued by the Ministry of Interior (Misrad Hapnim), this document is a prerequisite for all government services, including healthcare registration. Appointments can be arranged at gov.il.
2. Register with Bituach Leumi: According to Bituach Leumi, eligibility for insurance is determined by residency in Israel rather than citizenship. The defining criterion is whether your life is centred in Israel. Complete form 628 online or at a Bituach Leumi branch to have your residency formally recognised.
3. Choose a Kupat Cholim: Assess Clalit, Maccabi, Meuhedet, and Leumit on the basis of their clinic locations, language support, and supplementary services available in your part of the country.
4. Complete in-person registration: Visit a branch of your chosen Kupat Cholim and finalise registration by presenting your Teudat Zehut along with your completed registration form.
5. Receive your membership card: Once registered, a health fund card will be sent to you by post. This card grants access to services at all clinics, pharmacies, and hospitals affiliated with your fund and is essential for managing appointments, prescriptions, and medical consultations.
6. Select your family doctor: Upon joining a Kupat Holim, you will ordinarily be given the opportunity to choose a family doctor. This can be done through the fund’s app or by contacting your nearest clinic by phone.
7. Register for supplementary insurance: Expats of all ages are advised to enrol in supplemental health insurance through their Kupat Cholim. Registering within the first 90 days of aliyah exempts new immigrants from the waiting periods that would otherwise apply before supplemental service benefits take effect.

How do you pay for a doctor’s appointment in Israel?

There are no co-payments for primary care consultations, preventive services, cancer screening, or hospital admissions. NHI coverage also carries no quarterly or annual deductibles. In practice, this means that seeing your family doctor at a Kupat Holim clinic costs nothing at the point of use for enrolled members.

The compulsory insurance system is financed primarily through national income tax and an income-related health levy. Employees and self-employed individuals contribute 3.1% of their monthly income toward healthcare. For employees, this is deducted directly from their salaries; pensioners and those receiving unemployment benefits have contributions deducted from those payments. Self-employed individuals must arrange their own payments. Always consult Bituach Leumi for the most current contribution rates, as these are subject to periodic revision.

While GP visits are free, co-payments do apply to certain other services. Specialist consultations carry co-payments subject to quarterly ceilings, ranging from NIS 25–34 (approximately USD 6.5–9) for healthy adults and children (as of 2025). Prescription medications attract a minimum co-insurance of NIS 17 (approximately USD 4.5) per prescription, with a ceiling of 15% for patented drugs and 10% for generic equivalents (as of 2025).

When co-payments are due — for example for specialist visits or pharmaceuticals — patients do not settle these directly with the provider at the time of service. Instead, the health plan membership card is used, and the provider receives the full fee from the health plan, which then collects co-payments electronically from enrollees’ bank accounts on a monthly basis. This arrangement differs markedly from the out-of-pocket payment model common in many other countries.

Protections exist for lower-income members. In addition to an annual ceiling on the health tax, individuals earning 60% or less of the average income pay a reduced health tax rate of 3%, compared to 5% for those on higher incomes (as of 2025 — verify current thresholds with Bituach Leumi).

Do you need private health insurance to see a doctor in Israel?

Private health insurance is not a formal visa requirement for expats in Israel, but it is frequently advisable to guard against potentially significant medical costs. The practical answer depends very much on your residency status and employment circumstances. Once you are enrolled in the NHI system, your basic coverage is broad. Nonetheless, there are meaningful gaps and situations in which private insurance becomes a necessity rather than a preference.

The majority of residents also take out voluntary health insurance for medications excluded from the benefit package and for faster access to services and greater provider choice. This supplementary coverage is known as Bituach Mashlim and is made available by each of the four health funds. Private plans tend to be more comprehensive and individually tailored, and can extend to services not included in the public package — such as adult dental care, optometry, and hearing aids.

Although the basic system is of a high standard, more than 80% of Israelis hold supplementary insurance for enhanced services and shorter waiting times (as of 2025). Waiting periods within the public system can vary considerably by region, making supplementary cover widely viewed as a sensible addition rather than an extravagance.

If you are not yet eligible for the public system — for instance, if you are still in a waiting period while residency confirmation is pending — private insurance is indispensable. Returning residents and temporary residents gain eligibility for Bituach Leumi coverage only after a specified waiting period. During this interval, they have no access to Kupat Holim services, so arranging private coverage until full Bituach Leumi membership is established is critical.

Foreign workers are required by law to hold private health insurance, and their employers are legally obliged to arrange this. Tourists and short-term visitors have no entitlement to public coverage and must rely entirely on travel or international health insurance. If your status is unclear, the Israel Population and Immigration Authority and Bituach Leumi can clarify current residency and visa-related health insurance requirements.

Private healthcare in Israel provides a number of advantages over the public sector, particularly for expats seeking faster treatment and a higher degree of comfort. Specialist appointments are generally more readily available, and English-speaking staff are more consistently present. Prominent private facilities include Assuta Medical Centers and Herzliya Medical Center, both of which offer dedicated international patient services.

How do you transfer your medical records to a doctor in Israel?

Transferring your medical history to a new doctor in Israel is straightforward in concept but calls for some practical groundwork before you relocate. Your new Israeli family doctor will need a clear picture of your medical background — particularly if you have ongoing health conditions, take regular medications, or have undergone significant procedures.

It is advisable to bring a medical summary to present to your new physician in Israel. Understanding how your condition will be managed within the Israeli system is an important element of pre-departure preparation. Before leaving your home country, ask your current doctor or specialist for a comprehensive summary covering your medical history, existing diagnoses, current treatments, allergies, immunisation records, and recent test results.

Israel does not participate in any international digital patient record platform linked to systems abroad, so your records will not transfer automatically. However, each of the four Kupot Cholim maintains its own digital medical record system, and once you register and begin receiving treatment from an Israeli doctor, your records will be built up progressively within that system. All four funds offer well-developed websites and mobile apps through which members can view their own records, test results, and prescriptions.

If your medical documents are in a language other than Hebrew, consider arranging translations of key summaries before you arrive or shortly after. Doctors in Israel’s cities routinely read medical documents in other languages — particularly English and Russian — but having a Hebrew translation of critical records can prove invaluable in smaller clinics or when urgent treatment is required.

Where medication is concerned, it is advisable to bring a three-month supply — or as much as your current health plan permits — when moving to Israel. This allows you sufficient time to register with a health fund, establish care with a family doctor, and obtain a local re-prescription without any interruption to your treatment. Before travelling with medications, particularly controlled substances, check current customs and importation rules with the Israeli Ministry of Health.

What should expats know about language barriers and finding a doctor who consults in other languages?

Medical professionals in Israel — especially those working in urban areas — commonly speak English, yet language difficulties can still arise in smaller or more peripheral clinics. Israel is a multilingual country, and its healthcare workforce mirrors this diversity. In major cities such as Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, and Beersheba, doctors and nurses who speak English, Russian, French, Arabic, and Amharic are generally not difficult to find.

Most healthcare facilities in larger cities include practitioners fluent in English, Russian, French, or Amharic. Even in smaller towns, there is frequently at least one doctor or nurse capable of consulting in an additional language. That said, this becomes less predictable the further you are from an urban centre, so it is worth confirming language availability with your chosen Kupat Cholim before settling on a specific clinic.

New immigrants often benefit from dedicated services within their health fund, including assistance navigating language barriers, priority appointment access, and guidance on how to make use of the Israeli healthcare system. It is worth enquiring about support services for new olim when you first approach your chosen health fund.

The health funds publish extensive information online in multiple languages, with English and Russian particularly well represented. All four Kupot Cholim maintain English-language websites, and their apps are progressively becoming more multilingual. Each fund’s doctor directory can be searched with language filters to help identify practitioners who consult in your preferred language. Contact details for the four funds are as follows: Clalit (*2700), Maccabi (*3555), Meuhedet (1-700-350-350), and Leumit (*507).

When joining a Kupat Holim, you will typically have the opportunity to select a family doctor. Many new immigrants prioritise finding a physician who speaks their language, but where this is not possible locally, most clinics are perfectly comfortable with patients bringing along a friend, family member, or interpreter. Expat networks and community forums — including those run by Nefesh B’Nefesh and local Facebook groups — are valuable sources of word-of-mouth recommendations for multilingual doctors in specific cities.

What do expats need to know about prescriptions and medication in Israel?

Israeli pharmacies may only dispense prescription medications when they have been prescribed by a licensed Israeli doctor. All foreign prescriptions — regardless of whether they bear a doctor’s stamp or registration number — are invalid in Israel. This is one of the most practically significant points for any expat who relies on regular medication: book a consultation with your new Israeli family doctor as early as possible after registering with your Kupat Holim, and bring your foreign prescription documentation as supporting evidence for the re-prescription process.

Certain medications available over the counter in other countries require a valid prescription in Israel, while the reverse is also true — some drugs that are prescription-only elsewhere may be purchased without a prescription here. It is worth verifying the status of your specific medication with the Israeli Ministry of Health before you travel.

Medications for serious illnesses that appear on the official “basket of medications” formulary — a comprehensive list that is updated on a regular basis but does not encompass every possible drug — are covered, though patients must contribute toward the cost through co-payments. Coverage rates for basket medications vary from 50% to 90% depending on the drug.

As of 2025, the minimum co-insurance is NIS 17 (approximately USD 4.5) per prescription, with a cap of 15% for patented medications and 10% for generics. Always confirm current co-payment levels with your Kupat Cholim or the Ministry of Health, as the basket and its co-payment structure are reviewed annually.

Certain population groups are exempt from prescription co-payments or receive reductions: Holocaust survivors and individuals with severe illness are entirely exempt; older adults and Second World War veterans receive discounts; and monthly co-insurance caps protect people managing chronic conditions (as of 2025 — confirm current rules with your health fund).

Prescription drugs are generally less expensive in Israel than in many other countries, owing to government subsidies. Those holding supplementary health insurance may be entitled to 50% coverage or more for certain medications not included in the Healthcare Basket, or for drugs prescribed outside the conditions specified by the basket. The Ministry of Health maintains a searchable online database of all registered medications, which you can use to check whether a specific drug is available and subsidised in Israel.

Frequently asked questions

What should I do in a medical emergency in Israel?

Emergency medical services in Israel are operated by Magen David Adom (MDA). To request an ambulance, call 101. Visit the Emergency Room (Cheder Miyun) only for life-threatening situations, serious injuries, or conditions demanding immediate hospital intervention — such as suspected heart attack, major trauma, or sudden loss of consciousness. For urgent but non-life-threatening needs, your health fund runs walk-in urgent care centres called Mokedim, which are open outside regular hours and typically involve only a modest co-payment.

Will my pre-existing conditions be covered when I join a Kupat Holim?

The Kupot Cholim are legally prohibited from refusing membership to any Israeli resident, which means they cannot turn you away on the grounds of a pre-existing condition, and the standard Health Basket covers treatment for chronic illness. However, while some Kupot Cholim do allow non-residents to register under tourist plans, these offer only limited coverage without Bituach Leumi membership, and most pre-existing conditions are excluded from such plans. Comprehensive coverage of pre-existing conditions is dependent on being correctly enrolled as a full resident member.

How long does it take to get registered and start seeing a doctor?

To complete healthcare registration, return to a local branch of your chosen Kupat Cholim 7–10 days after your initial registration, bringing the form you received at the airport or at Misrad Haklita along with your Teudat Oleh. No appointment is required for this visit. Once registered, you can generally book an appointment with your family doctor straight away. If you are an existing resident switching between Kupot Cholim, expect the transition to take between 45–105 days from the date of application before it becomes official.

What happens to my healthcare coverage if I lose my job or change employment?

A change in employment status does not affect your Kupat Holim membership or your access to the services you rely on. Your clinics, prescriptions, and treatment all continue as normal — the only change is how your contributions are collected, shifting from employer-deducted payments to contributions you arrange directly. Self-employed individuals are responsible for organising their own health tax payments. Notify Bituach Leumi promptly whenever your employment situation changes to ensure your contributions remain correctly configured and your coverage is not disrupted.

Do new immigrants in Israel have to pay for healthcare from day one?

New olim generally benefit from a grace period — typically covering the first year — during which Bituach Leumi payments for health insurance are met by the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration (Misrad Haklita). As a new oleh, you are ordinarily entitled to six months of basic coverage funded by the Israeli government. Confirm the precise terms of the free coverage period with the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, as the conditions may differ depending on your immigration category.

Can I switch to a different health fund if I am unhappy with my current one?

If you are dissatisfied with your current health fund, you are entitled to transfer to a different Kupat Cholim. There are six designated dates each year on which fund changes take effect, and you may make the switch up to twice within any 12-month period. The process takes between 45–105 days from the date of application until the change is officially complete. Transfer requests can be submitted online via the Ministry of Health’s portal.

What is a Hafnaya and do I need one to see a specialist?

A Hafnaya is an electronic or paper referral issued by your family doctor or another Kupah specialist. It formally authorises you to consult a particular type of specialist or to undergo a specific medical investigation, and constitutes the medical justification for accessing a service outside your local clinic. You will need one for virtually all specialist consultations, the majority of imaging studies (including MRI, CT, and ultrasound), and for therapies such as physiotherapy. Your family doctor issues the referral, after which you arrange the specialist appointment through your health fund’s app or by calling the fund’s service centre.

Is dental care included in Israel’s public health system?

Adult dental treatment is not included in the basic Health Basket. Children receive a degree of public dental coverage, but adults must pay privately or rely on supplementary insurance (Bituach Mashlim) from their Kupat Holim, which may cover a share of dental costs depending on the plan selected. If dental coverage matters to you, examine the supplementary plan options available from each fund carefully before choosing your Kupat Cholim, as the scope and cost of coverage differs between the four organisations.