Kupat Holim — Emergency Services, Child Development Services, and Ministry of Health Call Centers

Source: Israeli Government Guide for New Immigrants · 2026-05

85 Health fund child development services Children diagnosed with a developmental impairment are eligible for services provided by the health funds. The services have to be administered in accordance with medical needs, at reasonable locations and times. The maximal waiting period is three months. Members insured by the health fund who have to wait more than 3 months are entitled to private care and to receive a refund from the health fund in accordance with the price index of the Ministry of Health. For your information, children during the first year of aliyah are given priority in diagnosis and care. Emergency Services Health funds’ emergency services Each health fund has a telephone call center that operates 24 hours a day. The phone numbers of the health funds call centers appear in the chapter “Addresses and phone numbers”. When necessary, it might be possible to receive a referral (Hafnaya) to an emergency room through the health fund call center. In certain branches. The health funds operate emergency centers that offer urgent medical services (consultation with a doctor, laboratory tests, x-rays and dispensing medications) during evening hours, Saturdays and holidays. The service is for a fee. In certain cases there is an exemption from the fee. Doctor’s house call There is an option for a doctor’s house call. The service is provided by external companies (such as Nataly and BikuRofe). One should enquire with the health fund what companies are included in the arrangement. The service is for a fee. The amount of the sum is dependent on the hour of the call and the agreement with the health fund. Members who have supplementary insurance (bituach mashlim) will pay less. In order to arrange a house call, one has to contact the company providing the service directly. A person who has a serious functional problem may be eligible for a house call without extra payment.

86 Emergency clinics In addition to health funds’ clinics, there are also external emergency clinics that do not belong to the health funds but have an arrangement with them (such as Terem, M.R.L.M. Emergency Medical Centers and BikuRofe). These clinics receive patients mainly during the hours in which the regular health funds’ clinics are closed: during night time, Saturdays and holidays. The health fund call centers and websites contain information about the emergency clinics they cooperate with. The emergency clinics services are for a fee. In certain cases there is an exemption from the fee. Ambulance Services When immediate medical assistance is needed it is possible to call for an ambulance )Magen David Adom - MADA( at any hour of the day or night to evacuate the patient to a hospital. When members of health funds are hospitalized, the health fund will reimburse all of the ambulance fees. When members are evacuated by a regular ambulance and are not hospitalized, they must pay for the ambulance, with certain exceptions. If they were evacuated by an Advanced Life Support Ambulance or a Life Support Unit, they are eligible for a partial payment for the evacuation from the health funds. It is important to apply for a refund within 60 days from the evacuation in order to clarify the eligibility for the evacuation. The National Insurance Institute covers the cost of an ambulance for a woman giving birth and for victims of work accidents and enemy actions. More details can be found on the MADA website. www.mdais.org In addition to MADA it is possible to ask for assistance from the organization “United Hatzalah” (Ichud Hatzalah). The United Hatzalah crew arrives at the scene immediately and provides initial medical care until the MADA crews arrive. There are ambulances that belong to assistance associations that offer ambulance transportation for free or for a token fee to patients who need to travel to receive care. For details about the associations go the guidestar website: www.guidestar.org.il

87 Care at an Emergency Room In case of an emergency, one can arrive at a hospital emergency room independently or by ambulance. In principle, the visit to an emergency room entails a fee. In certain cases, there is an exemption from the fee: if there is a referral from a doctor (Hafnaya), a commitment from the health fund (Hitchayvut), if the medical case appears in the list of cases that deserve an exemption or if the patient was hospitalized. There are also cases in which the patient is required to pay a partial payment. In any case, it is recommended to turn afterwards to the health fund and enquire about eligibility for a refund. Please Note! Before arriving at the emergency room, it is strongly recommended to ask for a referral from the health fund to assure your exemption from any payment. Call Centers in different languages The Ministry of Health operates two call centers, both in different languages: Kol-HaBriut - The Telephone Call Center The call center was established to enable the public at large to receive information about the topics in the competence of the Ministry of Health: licensing of medical professions, requests for rehabilitative and mobility equipment, the National Health Insurance Law, and more. The service is available in the following languages: Hebrew, Arabic, French, Russian, Amharic and English. Numbers of call center: *5400 or 08-6241010 The call center operates in the following languages: Hebrew, Arabic, French, Russian, Amharic and English. For additional information about the hours of the call center and other details go to the website: https://www.gov.il/en/Departments/General/health_call_center The call center can be reached by fax: 02-5655969 Or by e-mail: call.habriut@moh.health.gov.il