percent Israelis pay supplementary 20-30% of have health insurance policies insurance

More than 70 percent of Israelis have supplementary health insurance policies offered by the country's four healthcare funds. 20-30 percent of Israelis also have private health insurance policies offered by insurance companies.

Health insurance covers a range of medical expenses including surgery, implants, drugs, hospitalization, and nursing. The health funds' supplementary health insurance policies cover treatments and drugs that are not part of the basket of healthcare services.

Some supplementary health insurance policies carry a fixed premium, while others have a variable age-based premium. Health insurance policies are long-term policies, whose prices rise with age. A big jump in prices, to hundreds of shekels per month for policyholders, tends to hit when policyholders reach their thirties.