By law, every Israeli residentA person whose life is centered in Israel. Criteria for determining this include: Israel is your permanent place of residence, where your family resides, where your children go to school, your primary place of work, or where you are studying. must be registered with one of the health maintenance organizations (HMOs). In order to register with an HMO, please register through one of the branches of the Israel Postal Company and fill out a special application form.
Israeli residents 18 years of age and over who are not members of one of the HMOs must register through any post office submitting their identity card. There is a fee for this registration.
Children
Every child, from birth is automatically a member of the same HMO as is the parent who receives a child allowance for him.
If the two parents belong to different HMOs and wish to transfer their child to the HMO of the parent who does not receive the child allowance, they must fill out a Request for Transfer form – which they both must sign – in any post office.
Regarding a child not yet 6 months old, the transfer from one HMO to another is immediate (that is, with no waiting period).
Discharged soldiers
Inducted and career soldiers are not insured under the State Health Insurance Law and are thus not eligible to receive health services from one of the HMOs, but rather through the Ministry of Defense.
By law, a discharged soldier resumes membership in the HMO where he was a member before being inducted into the army. The Israel Defense Forces automatically transfers information on the soldier’s duscharge to the National Insurance Institute.
If a discharged soldier’s former HMO has not received information on his discharge, the soldier must fax a copy of his certificate of discharge to the NII’s Insurance and Health Division (fax number 02-646-2029). The NII will forward the information to the soldier’s HMO and, within 24 hours, his membership in the HMO will be renewed.
Discharged soldiers who wish to switch to different HMO (the transfer can be made while the soldier is still serving in the army) must follow the procedure described in the next section.
Discharged soldiers who were not members of an HMO before induction must register with the HMO of their choosing in any post office on submitting the registration form, they will immediately be entitled to health services.
Soldiers who do not know to which HMO they belong can find out this information from the NII’s Insurance and Health Division.
Released prisoners
Released prisoners resume their membership with the HMO where they were members before their incarceration.
The Israel Prison Service automatically transfers information on the prisoner’s release to the National Insurance Institute.
If a released prisoner’s former HMO has not received information on his release, he must fax a copy of his certificate of release to the NII’s Insurance and Health Division (fax number 02-646-2029). The NII will forward the information to his HMO and, within 24 hours, his membership in the HMO will be renewed.
Released prisoners who were not members of an HMO before induction must to register with the HMO of their choosing in any post office on submitting the registration form, they will immediately be entitled to health services.
Released prisoners who wish to switch to a different HMO (the transfer can be made while the prisoner is still in prison) must act in accordance with the regulations for switching.
Persons who are not registered with an HMO
Persons who are not registered as members of an HMO cannot register at a post office but rather must do so at the NII branch closest to their place of residence so that the NII can first verify whether or not they are Israeli residents. If the person is recognized as an Israeli resident, he must register at a local NII branch with the HMO of his choosing.
The persons in the following categories, even if they are not registered with an HMO, are not required to apply to the NII for a verification of their Israeli residency but rather can register through a post office:
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Persons under 18 one of whose parents (or guardians) is registered with an HMO and lives in Israel.
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Persons over 18 but not yet 19.
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Soldiers discharged from compulsory military service or from career military service, during the first year following their discharged.
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Released detainees or prisoners, during the first year following their release.
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New immigrants for the first 3 months after becoming a new immigrant.