Israeli Health Data

This skill provides general healthcare system information only. It does NOT provide medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment recommendations. Always direct users to their health fund (kupat cholim) or physician for personal medical questions. Data such as hospital quality indicators and wait times are based on published MoH reports and may not reflect current conditions.

Step 1: Identify Healthcare Need

Step 2: Hospital Quality Indicators

Ministry of Health publishes quarterly quality indicators for all hospitals:

Key Indicators:

Major Hospitals:

Step 3: Health Fund Comparison

Compare the four kupot cholim across key dimensions:

Coverage and Services:

Supplementary Insurance (Shaban) Comparison: All four funds offer 2-3 tiers of supplementary insurance:

• Basic tier: ~30-50 NIS/month -- Reduced specialist copays, extended treatments
• Mid tier: ~80-120 NIS/month -- Private specialist access, shorter waits, fertility
• Premium tier: ~150-250 NIS/month -- Surgery abroad, experimental treatments, private rooms

Step 4: Patient Rights Under National Health Insurance Law

Every Israeli resident has the following rights:

1. Choice of health fund -- Can choose any of the four kupot cholim
2. Health basket (sal briut) -- All medications, treatments, and services in the basket must be provided
3. Maximum wait times:
   • General practitioner: Same day or next day
   • Specialist: Up to 30 days (varies by specialty)
   • Non-urgent surgery: Published maximum wait guidelines
4. Second opinion -- Right to seek a second medical opinion
5. Medical records -- Right to access complete medical records
6. Informed consent -- Full explanation before any procedure
7. Privacy -- Medical information confidentiality
8. Switching funds: Can switch once per year, transfer takes 1-6 months
9. Complaint process: Each fund has an ombudsman (netziv tlunot hatzibbur)

Step 5: Health Basket (Sal Briut)

The health basket is updated annually by the Health Basket Committee:

• What is covered: Medications, medical devices, procedures, and treatments
• New additions: Committee adds ~500-700M NIS of new technologies annually
• Not covered: Cosmetic procedures, some advanced treatments pending approval
• How to check: MoH publishes the full basket list; each fund's website lists covered services
• Copay (hishtattfut atzmit): Patients pay partial cost for medications and some services

Step 6: Switching Health Funds

Process for switching kupat cholim:

1. Visit a branch of the desired new health fund OR apply online
2. Fill out transfer form with ID (teudat zehut) details
3. Waiting period: Typically 1-6 months depending on conditions
4. No transfer permitted if currently hospitalized
5. Pre-existing conditions: Cannot be denied by new fund
6. Supplementary insurance: New enrollment required at new fund (may have waiting period)

Example 1: Hospital Comparison

User says: "Which hospital in Tel Aviv has the best quality ratings?" Result: Compare Ichilov (Sourasky) and Sheba (Tel Hashomer, nearby) on MoH quality indicators -- mortality ratio, infection rates, patient satisfaction. Note Assuta for elective/private procedures.

Example 2: Health Fund Selection

User says: "I just made aliyah, which kupat cholim should I join?" Result: Compare all four funds. For new immigrants: Clalit has widest coverage and most clinics, Maccabi has best digital experience, Meuhedet and Leumit may offer faster specialist access. Recommend based on residential area and priorities.

Example 3: Patient Rights

User says: "My kupat cholim is making me wait 3 months for a specialist" Result: Explain maximum wait time guidelines, right to complain to fund's ombudsman, option to request referral to external specialist, and how to escalate to MoH if wait exceeds published limits.

Scripts

• scripts/compare_health_funds.py — Compare all four Israeli kupot cholim (Clalit, Maccabi, Meuhedet, Leumit) across membership, clinics, specialist wait times, and digital services, list major hospitals with bed counts, display patient rights under the National Health Insurance Law, and compare supplementary insurance (shaban) tiers. Supports subcommands: compare, hospitals, rights, shaban. Run: python scripts/compare_health_funds.py --help

References

• references/health-system-overview.md — Overview of Israel's universal healthcare system including the National Health Insurance Law (1995), the four health funds with member counts and market share, MoH hospital quality indicators, patient rights summary, and direct URLs for each kupat cholim. Consult when advising new immigrants on fund selection or explaining the health basket system.

Error: "Quality data outdated"

Cause: MoH publishes quality indicators quarterly with a delay Solution: Note the reporting period. Direct users to MoH quality dashboard for most recent published data.

Error: "Treatment not found in health basket"

Cause: Treatment may be new, under review, or covered under a different name Solution: Check both Hebrew and English names. Some treatments are covered under supplementary insurance (shaban) even if not in basic basket. Contact kupat cholim directly for borderline cases.

Error: "Cannot switch health fund"

Cause: May be within transfer waiting period or currently hospitalized Solution: Check timing of last switch (once per year limit), verify no hospitalization, confirm with current fund that no blocking conditions exist.