Israeli Families Waste 4,000 Shekels Annually on Duplicate Health Insurance Coverage
How 2 Israeli newsrooms covered this story — translated into English and compared side by side.
By ענת גלעד
First reported by Mako · Jul 30, 2026
What happened
A new calculator reveals Israeli families often pay twice for overlapping private and supplementary health insurance, wasting about 4,000 shekels yearly. Despite 2024 reforms transferring many to supplementary policies, most still hold both, incurring unnecessary costs. Switching to supplementary coverage after HMO benefits can halve premiums and save tens of thousands over time.
- 01Israeli families with both private and supplementary health insurance waste about 4,000 shekels annually due to overlapping coverage.
- 02A 2024 reform moved 636,000 insured to supplementary policies, but many groups were excluded or opted out.
- 03Most holders of first-shekel private policies still maintain duplicate coverage, paying high premiums.
- 04Supplementary policies activate after HMO coverage and can reduce premiums by nearly half, saving families significant money.
- 05Private policies uniquely cover overseas surgeries and certain treatments, while supplementary policies cover complementary medicine and pregnancy tests.
- 06Premiums for first-shekel policies rose sharply post-reform, widening the cost gap with supplementary policies.
Summary translated & synthesized from the sources below by baba. Read each original for the full report.
Full coverage · 2 outlets
The same event, reported separately by each newsroom. Open a few to compare what each emphasizes — and what they leave out.
