Medical Insurance

In Israel, health care is compulsory and universal. The Israeli government administers four organizations to administer medical insurance in Israel. All citizens of Israel are entitled to a Uniform Benefits Package regardless of which organization they belong to and regardless of their financial resources. The four health insurance programs offer supplementary insurance to their clients for procedures not covered by the universal benefits.

The current regulations on medical insurance in Israel were enacted in 1995, with all citizens guaranteed membership in one of the four Health Maintenance Organizations. Citizens are allowed to transfer from one organization to another one time per year.

Israel Emergency Services (IES) provides medical insurance in Israel for tourists, new immigrants, students, and foreign workers, allowing them access to the services provided to Israeli citizens. Many diplomats partake of this service as well as do embassy workers. This program allows foreigners to have the benefits of top quality medical care in the same system as Israeli citizens, without having to cope with advance payments and claims for reinbursement. People with the IES insurance have a magnetic card that they use whenever they seek medical care to speed up administrative tasks, with enrollees having access to over 370 medical centers throughout Israel.