Israel’s health funds in 2026: what has changed, and what the elections could change
Disclaimer: this page summarises public information available in September 2026. Figures, drug listings and political positions change; check with your own kupat holim or the Ministry of Health before acting on anything here. DocToKal has no commercial partnership with any health fund and no political affiliation.
The system in one paragraph
Every Israeli resident must belong to one of four health funds: Clalit, which covers about 51% of the population, Maccabi, Meuhedet and Leumit. The law requires all four to offer the same minimum health basket and forbids them from refusing anyone. They are funded mainly by the state budget and by the health tax collected by Bituach Leumi. In 2026 that tax stands at 3.23% of income up to ₪7,703 a month and 5.16% above that, up to a ceiling of ₪51,910.
What changed in 2026
The main change is the 2026 health basket: ₪650 million of new drugs and technologies, delivered nearly three months late because of the coalition crisis. The main additions:
- Cancer — ₪337 million, 52% of the budget. New immunotherapies and early-detection tests for breast and lung cancer. CT screening for smokers now starts at 55 instead of 65. Acupuncture for patients undergoing chemotherapy is funded for the first time.
- Diabetes and obesity — Ozempic, Trulicity and Rybelsus extended to heart and kidney patients. Wegovy funded for around 4,500 severely obese teenagers aged 12 to 18.
- Vaccines — Shingrix, against shingles, from age 50 instead of 65. Meningococcal B for infants was left out once again, with funding promised later through the funds.
- Mental health — new antidepressants and a non-stimulant option for ADHD in children.
- Left out — Leqembi, for early Alzheimer’s, and Kalsody, for a rare form of ALS, both judged too costly.
The wider budget picture is tight. The 2026 state budget gives the Health Ministry about ₪63 billion, while defence rose to ₪144 billion and civilian ministries were cut. No change to health tax rates has been confirmed for 2027.
The elections: health is not the main issue
Israelis vote on 27 October 2026 for the 26th Knesset. The campaign is dominated by security, the Haredi draft and the judiciary. The main contenders are Netanyahu (Likud), Gadi Eisenkot (Yashar) and the Bennett–Lapid list, Together. Polls put neither bloc at the 61 seats needed for a majority.
Political instability has already cost patients once: the health minister’s resignation in July 2025 delayed the 2026 basket by about three months. A long coalition negotiation after 27 October could delay the 2027 basket committee in the same way.
What the parties propose
No major party has proposed changing the health tax or cutting the basic basket. The positions set out at the “Choosing Health” panel of the National Institute for Health Policy Research, on 23 September 2026, remain general. Likud did not appear among the panel’s speakers.
| Party | Speaker | Health position |
|---|---|---|
| Yashar (Eisenkot) | Osherat Gani Gonen | Present at the panel; no specific measure reported |
| Together (Bennett–Lapid) | Liran Avisar Ben Horin | Move care from hospitals into the community; rely on preventive medicine to contain costs |
| Democrats | Michal Rozin | A large increase in the health budget as a coalition condition; a public long-term-care basket worth several billion shekels |
| Shas | Uriel Busso, former minister | An ageing population; long-term-care insurance heading for crisis within one to two years |
| United Torah Judaism | Yitzhak Pindrus | A long-term-care basket for patients sent home; clearer roles for the Finance and Health ministries |
| Ra’am | Yasser Hujirat | A long-term health plan running to 2050 |
| Joint List | Fatin Ghattas | More money for health |
The common theme is long-term care — siudi — rather than the funds’ basic coverage. A public long-term-care scheme would cost billions. Whoever funded it would need either to reallocate budget or to raise new revenue, in practice a tax or a levy. No party has said which.
What it means for you
The election will not change your fund’s coverage or your health tax in the short term: the 2026 basket is already in force. The real risks are indirect — a delayed 2027 basket if coalition talks drag on, and pressure on the health budget from defence spending. The one structural change on the table is public long-term-care insurance. If it goes ahead, expect a new charge to fund it, most likely after 2027.
