Kupat Cholim

A Kupat Cholim is an Israeli health fund. There are four: Clalit, Maccabi, Meuhedet, and Leumit. Residents join one, and it provides their doctors, labs, specialists, and a large share of medications. IS IT FOR STUDENTS? Health funds are part of the national system for residents. Students on a visa are usually not entitled to join the same way. Instead, you generally buy private or student health insurance, and some funds and insurers sell plans designed for foreign students. WHAT TO DO • Ask your school what insurance they provide or require. Many yeshivas, seminaries, and universities bundle it. • If you buy your own plan, confirm it covers doctor visits, emergency care, and hospitalization. • Ask whether you can use a health fund's clinics under your plan. This is often how it works in practice. GOOD TO KNOW • Even without a fund, you will never be turned away from an emergency room. • Keep every receipt, because you will pay upfront and claim reimbursement later. See Section 4, Healthcare and Insurance, for everything else.