Did you know Israelis can travel to the US and receive medical treatments, including organ donations from American donors, while Americans must pay for these procedures themselves without receiving free healthcare? This argument has been shared widely on social media sites like X, TikTok and YouTube amid deep divisions within America over Israel’s war with Hamas. While billions are provided annually in military aid from America to Israel without including health coverage as Haaretz daily points out.
Israel’s national health system is funded through both public funds and health insurance premiums, operating via four different Kupot Holim (plural of “health fund”) which provide healthcare facilities while offering additional insurance plans to their members.
Every Israeli resident is automatically enrolled in one of four health funds and has the right to access any service included in Israel’s universally accessible national health basket. If a health fund denies a member access to essential services, they can petition a labor court for resolution. Furthermore, these funds must promote additional insurance plans which enable residents to tailor coverage while reducing out-of-pocket costs.
According to a World Bank study, Israel’s healthcare system is widely considered one of the best worldwide. Yet its implementation still presents unique challenges such as difficulty adding new treatments quickly and high healthcare costs overall – the World Bank found that healthcare costs per person in Israel are approximately double global average levels.
Due to rising insurance premiums, many Israelis opt to supplement their health coverage with additional policies from health funds. The four health funds provide various supplementary offerings such as dental and vision plans, prescription drug coverage benefits, maternity leave leave and cancer treatment coverage as well as operating a network of privately-owned clinics offering primary care, specialty medicine or family practice services.
Some facilities are directly operated by Kupot Holim while others are managed by private providers who contract with health funds to run them. Together, four health funds have a network of over 1,400 clinics and pharmacies nationwide – Clalit Health Services being owned by Histadrut labor federation is by far the largest.
Israeli health services consist of not only private clinics but also hospitals and public services that fall under its purview. These institutions must meet national quality and safety standards that include patient privacy, cleanliness and adherence to international care standards. Under the Ministry of Health’s oversight these institutions meet these expectations for quality and safety – such as patient confidentiality, cleanliness and compliance with international care guidelines.
The United States has long been an influential provider of medical supplies to Israel, such as vaccines, antivirals, and other medications. Furthermore, their philanthropic program offers medical scholarship grants.
Some U.S. aid is allocated specifically for military use through the Foreign Military Financing program, which operates separately from the main U.S. aid budget. Some of this funding has been used to purchase U.S. defense equipment that could then be deployed locally; however, the United States is moving away from this domestic procurement policy over time.