Health Care Access for Stay-Permit Holders in Family Reunification Cases

Who can apply

Holders of a valid stay permit under family reunification—usually spouses, parents, or children of an Israeli citizen or resident—granted by the Ministry of Population and Immigration and the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT).

How to apply

1. Qualification period

After you receive the first continuous stay permit, there is a qualification period until you can register with a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO, 'kupat holim' in Hebrew).
The qualification period lasts 6 months if your family member is a citizen and 27 months if your family member is a resident. 

2. Registration and payment

• Registration
  After the qualification period is over, and as long as the stay permit is valid, you must sign up in person with the HMO that your family member is registered with.
  You must present some form of identification, such as a stay permit or a Palestinian ID card.
   
• One-time payment
  When you register, you must make a one-time payment equivalent to 6 months of the monthly health insurance premium.

3. Waiting period

After completing the registration and making the one-time payment, a 6-month waiting period begins, during which you must pay health insurance premiums until the HMO starts covering you.

4. Getting health care

Once the waiting period is over, you must contact the HMO you registered with and choose a doctor.

Covered health care services

Coverage includes all services that a citizen or resident registered with an HMO is entitled to, except for medical care outside of Israel. The coverage includes:

• Family doctor and specialist counseling
• All medications covered by the National Health Basket
• Medical center services and clinical services
• Hospitalizations
• Non-urgent services (require a financial commitment) 
• HMO preferred providers services
• Organ transplants and prosthetics

Important to know

• Health insurance premiums are a flat, income-independent rate and are paid directly to the HMO.

• Permit holders are responsible for registering with an HMO and paying health insurance premiums. The Ministry of Health and HMOs provide guidance, but compliance with the law is the individual’s responsibility.
• If a stay permit holder does not register and pay health insurance premiums within 80 days, the state may automatically enroll them in an HMO. This means registration occurs even without individual action, and debt from unpaid premiums and special insurance fees begins to accrue retroactively.
• Permit holders can voluntarily purchase supplementary health insurance ('SHABAN') through the HMO to expand their coverage. The Ministry of Health does not recommend paying for duplicate private health insurance in addition to national coverage.
• People with stay permits who turn 18 face a new payment calculation and must register separately from their parents.
• The maximum cost for a family with a parent and children under 18 who hold stay permits is capped at the rate for two people.