Clalit Health Fund Reports NIS 364 Million Deficit in 2025
Translated & summarized from i24NEWS by baba
Israel's largest health fund, Clalit, reported a deficit of approximately NIS 364 million for 2025, while other major health funds posted surpluses. The overall deficit for all health funds decreased by 44% to about NIS 194 million. Hospitalization costs were the largest expenditure at 43%, and government funding covered the majority of health fund revenues. The Ministry of Health noted financial stabilization but stressed the need for continued support and budget adjustments.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Clalit Health Fund reported a NIS 364 million deficit for 2025, while other major funds had surpluses.
- The aggregate deficit for all health funds decreased by 44% to approximately NIS 194 million in 2025.
- Hospitalization costs represented the largest expenditure for health funds at 43% in 2025.
- Government funding accounted for 88.2% of health fund revenues in the community sector.
- Ministry of Health Director General Moshe Bar Siman Tov cited financial stabilization but called for budget adjustments.
A Ministry of Health report released Tuesday reveals that Clalit, Israel's largest health fund, ended 2025 with a deficit of approximately NIS 364 million. In contrast, the other three major health funds, Maccabi, Meuhedet, and Leumit, all reported financial surpluses for the year. Despite Clalit's deficit, the overall financial picture for all health funds showed improvement, with their aggregate deficit shrinking by about 44% to approximately NIS 194 million, down from NIS 346 million in 2024.
Maccabi Health Fund finished 2025 with a surplus of about NIS 111 million, Meuhedet with NIS 53 million, and Leumit with NIS 6 million. Clalit's deficit also decreased compared to the previous year, when it stood at approximately NIS 542 million. Furthermore, Clalit's hospital deficit reduced by about NIS 400 million in 2025, from roughly NIS 3.2 billion to NIS 2.8 billion.
The report detailed the expenditure breakdown for the health funds. Hospitalization costs were the largest component, accounting for about 43% of total expenses in 2025, an increase from 42.1% in 2024, representing a real-terms rise of approximately 3.5%. Salary expenses constituted about 25.4% of total expenditures, down slightly from 25.8% the previous year. Medications and medical equipment accounted for roughly 17.9% of overall spending, compared to 18.4% in 2024.
Community sector expenses for health funds grew by a coordinated rate of about 3% in 2025. Notable increases were seen in development expenses, up by approximately 9.2%, and in services from private institutes, clinics, and laboratories, which rose by about 7%. The total cost of the health basket in 2025 was approximately NIS 80.6 billion, a 6.2% increase from the prior year. Government support to the health funds reached about NIS 4.6 billion, up from NIS 4.1 billion in 2024, with much of the increase directed towards mental health and stabilizing the funds' financial standing.
According to the Ministry of Health, government funding accounted for about 88.2% of community sector revenues for the funds, while out-of-pocket payments from insured individuals represented only about 6.6%. This is a slight decrease from a decade ago when patient co-payments funded about 6.8% of the health basket. Ministry of Health Director General Moshe Bar Siman Tov stated that the deficit reduction reflects financial stabilization and a strengthening of the public system. However, he cautioned that the funds still require stabilization support and that the budget base needs to be adjusted for anticipated increases in healthcare consumption and morbidity.
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