The Kupot Holim
Disclaimer: the information on this page is based on public data available in 2026 on the official websites of the four kupot holim (Clalit, Maccabi, Meuhedet, Leumit). Plan names, their contents and their prices change regularly and may vary with your age, your family situation and where you live. DocToKal has no commercial partnership with any of these funds: this page is purely informative and in no way replaces the official, up-to-date information available directly from each kupat holim. Before signing up for anything, always check the exact terms with the fund concerned.
The four funds at a glance
All the kupot holim provide the same basic basket of care (sal briut), defined by law. What sets them apart is their size, their geographical footprint, their digital services, and the supplementary insurance options they offer.
| Clalit | Maccabi | Meuhedet | Leumit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approximate size | The largest fund in the country | 2nd largest fund | 3rd fund | The smallest of the four |
| Footprint | Very dense network throughout Israel, including outlying areas; runs its own hospitals and clinics | Strong presence in Tel Aviv and central Israel | Good coverage, tilted towards a younger membership | Well established in outlying areas |
| Recognised strengths | The widest network, an integrated offer (clinics + hospitals) | Digital services with a good reputation, quick referral to specialists | Good customer service, active with families and young adults | Administrative flexibility, alternative medicine cover in some supplementary plans |
| Supplementary plan names | Mushlam Zahav / Mushlam Platinum | Maccabi Zahav / Maccabi Sheli | Meuhedet Adif / Meuhedet Si (or C) | Leumit Silver / Leumit Gold |
This table gives a general picture; it is no substitute for a comparison tailored to your own profile (age, town, specific medical needs).
Clalit
Clalit is the largest health fund in Israel. What distinguishes it is that it runs a great many hospitals and clinics itself, which makes for an unusually integrated offer across community and hospital medicine.
Clalit Mushlam supplementary plans
| Plan | Who it is for | What it adds to the basic basket | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mushlam Zahav (entry level) | Families and individuals looking for standard supplementary cover | Private specialist appointments, a contribution towards private surgery and transplants, dental benefits, medical devices, preventive services | The basic Clalit supplementary plan, with variants designed by age group (children, young adults, women, seniors) |
| Mushlam Platinum (higher tier) | Those who want wider cover | Extends the Mushlam Zahav guarantees: more cover for private surgery, advanced treatments, and certain care abroad | A higher premium than Mushlam Zahav, in exchange for wider cover |
Maccabi
Maccabi is known for the quality of its digital services and how quickly it refers members to specialists, which makes it a popular choice in urban areas in particular.
Maccabi supplementary plans
| Plan | Who it is for | What it adds to the basic basket | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maccabi Zahav (entry level) | Standard supplementary cover | A contribution towards private specialist appointments, dental benefits, medical devices, discounts on certain treatments | Formerly known as Magen Zahav; entitlements have remained broadly unchanged |
| Maccabi Sheli (higher tier) | Those who want fuller cover | Extends private surgical cover, with more support for advanced treatments and some care outside the basic basket | The most complete plan Maccabi offers |
Meuhedet
Meuhedet is a mid-sized fund, often cited for the quality of its customer service and its energy with families and young adults.
Meuhedet supplementary plans
| Plan | Who it is for | What it adds to the basic basket | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meuhedet Adif (entry level) | Standard supplementary cover | Private specialist appointments, a contribution towards private surgery with contracted surgeons, dental benefits, medical devices | An entry plan comparable to the “Zahav/Silver” plans of the other funds |
| Meuhedet Si / Meuhedet C (higher tier) | Those who want wider cover | Adds wellbeing-type benefits (nutritional support, coaching), broader pregnancy cover, and better surgical cover | A premium plan, at a higher contribution |
Leumit
Leumit is the smallest of the four funds, particularly present in outlying areas. It stands out for a degree of administrative flexibility and, depending on the plan, for covering certain alternative therapies.
Leumit supplementary plans
| Plan | Who it is for | What it adds to the basic basket | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leumit Silver (entry level) | Standard supplementary cover | Private specialist appointments, a contribution towards private surgery, dental benefits, medical devices | A basic plan comparable to the entry plans of the other funds |
| Leumit Gold (higher tier) | Those who want wider cover | Extends Leumit Silver, notably with better cover for certain complementary and alternative therapies depending on the version of the plan | A premium plan, at a higher contribution |
And beyond your fund’s supplementary plan?
There is a third level of cover, independent of the kupot holim: private health insurance, taken out directly with an Israeli insurance company (Harel, Phoenix, Clal, Migdal, among others). It sits on top of the basic basket and your fund’s supplementary plan, and lets you choose your own surgeon and hospital, shorten the wait for an operation, or obtain cover for transplants and treatment abroad. We go into it in our page on private health insurance in Israel.
How to choose your kupat holim
There is no “best” fund in the abstract: the right choice depends above all on where you live, your family situation and your specific medical needs. You can change kupat holim once you are registered, generally once a year, with a waiting period on the supplementary side.
For anything about how the health system works in general, how care is covered and how contributions are calculated, see our page on the Israeli health system.
