Supplementary health insurance
Disclaimer: the information on this page is based on public data available in 2026 on the official websites of the insurance companies named below and on specialist sources on private health insurance in Israel. Plans, benefits and prices change regularly and vary with your age, health and family situation. DocToKal has no commercial partnership with any of these companies: this page is purely informative and does not replace a personal quote obtained directly from the insurer or a broker. Always check the exact, up-to-date terms with the company concerned before signing up.
A third layer of cover, beyond your kupat holim
In Israel, health cover is generally built in three layers:
- The basic basket of care (sal briut), provided automatically by your kupat holim.
- Your kupat holim’s supplementary insurance (for example Mushlam, Sheli, Adif or Silver/Gold), which extends this cover.
- Private health insurance, taken out independently with an Israeli insurance company, which sits on top of the first two layers.
This third layer is not compulsory, but it is very common: many residents choose it for greater freedom of choice (surgeon, hospital), faster treatment, or to cover situations that neither the basic basket nor the kupa’s supplementary plan reaches.
The main private health insurance companies in Israel
| Company | What to know |
|---|---|
| Harel | One of the largest insurance companies in the country, with a private health offer that is among the best known, and a wide range of cover levels. |
| Phoenix (HaPhoenix) | A leading company, whose private health offer is often cited for the speed with which it covers certain tests and procedures in private clinics. |
| Clal | A large general insurer, offering several levels of health cover, from the most basic to the most extensive. |
| Migdal | A historic company and one of the largest in the market, with a well-known private health offer and sometimes more flexible admission terms for older policyholders. |
| Menora Mivtachim | Another major Israeli general insurer, also present in the private health insurance segment. |
| Ayalon | A smaller company, regularly cited for competitive reimbursement levels on certain procedures (private consultations in particular) and for free choice of surgeon. |
| Dikla | Present on the Israeli private health insurance market, with cover levels comparable to the other general insurers. |
Other companies (AIG Israel, Shirbit, Shomera, Hachshara, among others) also operate on the Israeli insurance market, with a presence on the health segment that varies from year to year.
The three tiers of a private health insurance policy
At most of these companies, the private health offer is generally structured into several levels of cover, from the most basic to the most complete:
| Level | What it generally covers |
|---|---|
| Basic level | A lump sum for organ transplants and certain urgent surgical procedures abroad. |
| Intermediate level | A wider range of urgent procedures not covered by the kupat holim, as well as certain treatments intended to improve the patient’s quality of life; this level generally comes on top of the kupa’s supplementary insurance. |
| Extended level | Much broader cover: a large number of illnesses and emergencies are covered, independently of what the kupat holim and its supplementary plan already cover. |
The exact guarantees of each level vary from one company to another: it is therefore essential to compare policies in detail before choosing.
What these policies give you in practice
Beyond the levels of cover, private health insurance generally lets you:
- Freely choose your surgeon and hospital for an operation, including in the private sector (for example facilities such as Assuta or the Herzliya Medical Center), rather than depending on doctors under contract with the kupat holim.
- Cut waiting times, particularly for planned surgery or certain imaging tests.
- Be reimbursed quickly, often on simple submission of an invoice, sometimes fully online.
- Get cover abroad, particularly for hospitalisation during a stay in Europe or the United States — an option that should still be checked case by case, as it is not always included by default.
- Access plans designed for specific profiles, such as large families, single-parent families or new olim, depending on the company.
How to sign up
Signing up generally involves a medical questionnaire, filled in directly with the company or through a broker. Going through a broker often makes it easier to compare several companies before choosing, and can help people who are not yet comfortable in Hebrew — some brokers offer support in French or English.
Keep in mind that private health insurance never replaces your kupat holim: it only ever comes on top of the compulsory public cover.
To learn more
To understand how the health system works overall and the compulsory contributions, see our page on The Israeli health system. For the details of the supplementary plans offered by each kupat holim, see our page on The kupot holim in detail.
