Clalit, Maccabi, Meuhedet or Leumit: which kupat holim to choose in 2026, and for whom
The basket of care is the same everywhere: that is the law. What differs is the doctor ten minutes from home, the language on the phone, the app, and the price of the supplementary plan. Here is how to decide, profile by profile.
The short version
Israel has four health funds (kupot holim): Clalit (half the country, network and hospitals everywhere), Maccabi (the most digital and most English-friendly), Meuhedet (neighbourhood clinics, strong in Jerusalem) and Leumit (the smallest, cheapest supplementary plan). The basic basket is identical and funded by the health tax; the supplementary plan costs ₪27 to ₪123 a month depending on fund and tier. An oleh is covered from registration and can switch funds twice a year. A tourist or non-resident is not covered at all.
Key figures for 2026
- Funds
- 4
- Clalit’s share
- 50.6%
- Health tax
- 3.23% → 5.17%
- Entry supplementary
- ₪27–71 / month
- Switches per year
- 2
- Oleh waiting period (basket)
- 0 days
How Israeli health insurance works
Since the 1995 law, every resident registered with Bituach Leumi is insured and must choose one of the four funds, which must accept them without a medical questionnaire. Funding comes from the health tax (mas briut), collected with Bituach Leumi: 3.23% of salary up to ₪7,703 a month in 2026, 5.17% above, detailed in the income tax guide. A resident with no income pays a minimum contribution; an oleh with no income is exempt for twelve months.
The basket of services (sal habriut) is set by the Ministry of Health and identical in all four funds: family doctor, paediatrician, specialists, hospitalisation, maternity, imaging, listed medicines, mental health, children’s dental. You pay modest co-payments (a few dozen shekels per quarter per specialty, a share of medicines) and everything outside the basket: adult dental, glasses, alternative medicine, unlisted medicines, surgery in the hospital or with the surgeon of your choice.
The four funds compared
| Fund | Members | Supplementary plans | Languages | Strengths | Weaknesses | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clalit | 50.6% 4.7M | Mushlam Zahav (~₪55) · Mushlam Platinum (~₪104) | Limited English phone line, English staff in some branches | Densest network, own hospitals (Beilinson, Soroka, Kaplan…), full app | Large impersonal clinics, heavy admin | Periphery, large families, chronic conditions |
| Maccabi | 27.7% 2.6M | Maccabi Zahav (~₪64) · Maccabi Sheli (~₪123) | English customer service line, partly English app | Most advanced digital services, Assuta network, prevention, short waits | Thinner outside the centre, pricey top tier | English speakers, families, Tel Aviv, Raanana, Modiin |
| Meuhedet | 14.2% 1.3M | Adif (~₪71) · Si (~₪121) | English phone support, some English online | Neighbourhood clinics, accessible family doctor, strong in Jerusalem and religious cities | Smaller network, digital lagging | Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, Bnei Brak |
| Leumit | 7.5% 0.7M | Kesef (~₪27) · Leumit Zahav (~₪103) | Basic English | Cheapest supplementary, investing in clinics, short waits | Smallest network, no olim waiver on waiting periods | Tight budget, cities where it is well established |
Supplementary prices rise with age: expect ₪150 to ₪250 a month for a top tier at 60. They are revised every 1 January.
Which one for whom
English speaker in the centre (Tel Aviv, Raanana, Modiin, Herzliya)
Maccabi, for its English customer service, app, waiting times and the Assuta network. Clalit is the alternative if your neighbourhood has no Maccabi clinic nearby.
Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, religious communities
Meuhedet first, for its neighbourhood clinics and local presence; Clalit next, for density. The deciding factor: ask around which English-speaking family doctor is still taking patients, and join their fund.
Large family, periphery, chronic condition
Clalit: the only fund that owns its hospitals, a network everywhere, and a competitive Platinum plan for families. The price: bigger clinics and more bureaucracy.
Tight budget, young and healthy
Leumit: entry supplementary under ₪30, short waits. Check there is a clinic near you before signing, and note it grants no olim waiver on waiting periods.
Fund supplementary plans and private insurance
Two layers sit on top of the basic basket, and they do not replace each other:
| Fund supplementary plan (shaban) | Private insurance (Harel, Menora, Phoenix, Migdal, Clal) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ₪27–123 / month at 30–40 | ₪100–400 / month by age and cover |
| Medical questionnaire | None, acceptance mandatory | Yes, exclusions possible |
| Mainly covers | Private specialists, surgery in a chosen hospital, alternative medicine, partial dental, pregnancy, travel | Serious illness, medicines outside the basket, transplants, treatment abroad, chosen surgeon without cap |
| Waiting periods | Up to 24 months per service, waived for olim at Clalit, Maccabi, Meuhedet | 3 to 24 months by cover |
| For whom | Everyone, from registration | Families, over 40, family history, frequent travellers |
The most common combination: the mid-tier supplementary plan (Zahav, Adif) for everyday extras, and a private policy limited to serious illness and medicines outside the basket, which costs far less than an all-in policy and covers what the fund never will. Watch for duplicates: top-tier supplementary plans and full private policies overlap on surgery and consultations, and many families pay twice for the same cover.
Olim: registration and waiting periods
- Pick the fund at the airport, at a post office or online on the Bituach Leumi site, with the teudat oleh and temporary teudat zehut. Basket coverage starts immediately, with no waiting period.
- Join the supplementary plan within 12 months (Clalit, Maccabi) or within 90 days of joining the fund (Meuhedet): waiting periods, up to 24 months per service, are waived. After that, they apply as for any new member.
- Register the children at the same time, with a paediatrician assigned; preventive and basic dental is in the basket until 18.
- Bring translated medical records (prescriptions, vaccinations, chronic conditions) to the first appointment: listed medicines can be prescribed from the first visit.
- Check your Bituach Leumi status after 12 months: the exemption for an oleh with no income ends, and a minimum contribution is due even without work.
Arriving with ongoing treatment? The Israeli basket covers most common medicines but not all, and equivalents change names. A pharmacist or the family doctor matches them; bring three months’ supply for the transition. Americans on Medicare: it does not cover care in Israel, so the kupat holim becomes the primary cover from day one.
Switching funds
At most two switches per twelve-month period, by online request on the Bituach Leumi site or at a post office, free online. The switch takes effect on 1 January, March, May, July, September or November, with a 45 to 105-day lead time depending on filing date; it can be cancelled until the 20th of the month before the effective date. The basic medical record follows. Two precautions: settle pending appointments and payments at the old fund, and check with the new one whether its supplementary waiting periods restart from zero, which is often the case.
Tourists, non-residents and returning residents
- Tourists and non-residents (an owner who comes three months a year, a student without status, a visiting relative): no coverage by the kupot holim. You need travel or private health insurance for the stay; a hospital stay is billed thousands of shekels a day at full price. A dedicated guide compares travel insurance for Israel.
- Returning residents (toshav chozer) away more than two years: a waiting period of up to six months before regaining the basket, unless contributions were kept up from abroad. The period can be bought out with a lump sum to Bituach Leumi under the current schedule, and any arrears must be settled. Sort it out before returning.
- Israelis living abroad: after five years out of the country, Bituach Leumi may withdraw resident status; contributions paid “for nothing” do not always protect you. Check with Bituach Leumi before a return.
Six common mistakes
- Picking the family’s fund without looking at the map. The right fund is the one with a clinic and an available doctor ten minutes from home.
- Waiting to join the supplementary plan. After the olim window, up to two years of waiting on some services.
- Paying twice for the same cover between a top-tier supplementary plan and a full private policy.
- Forgetting the minimum contribution after the first year without income: arrears later block reimbursements.
- Returning to Israel after years without settling with Bituach Leumi, and discovering six months of waiting at the first appointment.
- Visiting without insurance because “healthcare is public”. It is, for residents.
Frequently asked questions
Kupat holim or kupat cholim: which spelling is right?
Both refer to the same thing: קופת חולים, the Israeli health fund. English speakers write kupat holim, kupat cholim or kupah; the plural is kupot holim. Official documents use the four names: Clalit, Maccabi, Meuhedet and Leumit.
Which kupat holim should I choose when I arrive in Israel?
The basic basket of care is identical in all four funds, set by law. What differs: network density near you, staff languages, app quality and the price of the supplementary plan. In practice: Maccabi for English speakers in the central cities, Meuhedet in Jerusalem and religious cities, Clalit if you live in the periphery or need an integrated hospital, Leumit if the supplementary price matters most. You can switch twice a year.
Is healthcare free with the kupat holim?
The basic basket (family doctor, specialists, hospital, listed medicines) is funded by the health tax collected with Bituach Leumi (3.23% then 5.17% of salary). Co-payments remain: a few dozen shekels per quarter for specialists, a share of medicines, and adult dental is not covered. The supplementary plan (Zahav, Platinum, Sheli…) adds private specialists, choice of surgeon, alternative medicine and part of dental.
Is a new immigrant covered on arrival?
Yes, from registration, with no waiting period for the basic basket: the oleh picks a fund at the airport, at a post office or online, and a family doctor is assigned immediately. Supplementary plans have waiting periods (up to 24 months per service) that Clalit and Maccabi waive if you join within 12 months of aliyah; Meuhedet waives them if you join the fund within a year and the plan within 90 days; Leumit grants no waiver.
Does an oleh with no income pay the health tax?
A new immigrant with no income is exempt from Bituach Leumi and health contributions for the first 12 months in Israel. After that, a resident with no income pays a minimum monthly contribution even without working. Employees pay through the payslip, the self-employed through advance payments.
How do I switch kupat holim?
At most two switches in any 12-month period. Apply online on the Bituach Leumi site or at a post office; it takes effect on 1 January, March, May, July, September or November, with a 45 to 105-day lead time depending on when you file. The basic medical record transfers; supplementary waiting periods may restart in the new fund, so check before moving.
I am a returning resident after years abroad: am I covered?
An Israeli who was away more than two years faces a waiting period of up to six months before regaining the basket, unless contributions were kept up from abroad. The waiting period can be bought out with a lump-sum payment to Bituach Leumi under the current schedule, and any arrears must be settled. Do it before returning, not after the first health problem.
Can a tourist or non-resident use the kupat holim?
No. The system covers residents registered with Bituach Leumi. A tourist, a student without resident status or a non-resident property owner needs travel or private health insurance for the stay; uninsured care is billed at full price, and a hospital stay costs thousands of shekels a day.
Fund supplementary plan or private insurance?
They answer different needs. The fund’s supplementary plan is cheap, has no medical questionnaire and covers everyday extras (private specialists, surgery in a chosen hospital, partial dental). Private insurance (Harel, Menora, Phoenix, Migdal, Clal) covers serious illness, medicines outside the basket, treatment abroad and transplants, with a questionnaire and a price that rises with age. Most families take the Zahav-level plan plus a private policy focused on serious illness and medicines.
Is dental covered?
For children up to 18, preventive and basic restorative care is in the basket. For adults aged 19 to 71, nothing in the basket; supplementary plans give discounts, and the top tiers (Platinum, Sheli, Si, Leumit Zahav) include part of orthodontics and prosthetics. From 72, some treatments return to the basket.
What changes in 2026–2027?
Supplementary prices are revised every 1 January (a few percent up), health contributions follow Bituach Leumi thresholds (₪7,703 reduced-rate threshold in 2026), and the funds keep expanding their English apps. The market shares published by Bituach Leumi date from November 2025.
How we work
Every figure on this page is checked against the official source listed at the bottom and dated. When a schedule changes, the page is updated within days of the official publication. Our methodology.
Sources
- Bituach Leumi — health fund registration and transfers, member distribution (November 2025)
- Ministry of Health — National Health Insurance Law, basket of services and patient rights
- Kol Zchut — transfer between health funds: effective dates and rules
- Meidahon — kupot holim comparison and supplementary prices, January 2026
- Israel Handbook — choosing a kupat holim (networks, dental, waiting periods)
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