Clalit Health Services

Clalit, also Klalit (Hebrew: שירותי בריאות כללית‎, General Health Services; previously – קופת חולים כללית, General Sick Fund), is the largest of Israel's four state-mandated health service organizations, charged with administering health care services and funding for its members (all citizens must be a member of one of the four providers).

Widely known as Kupat Holim Clalit, it was established in 1911 as a mutual aid society. When the State of Israel was founded in 1948, Clalit was instrumental in providing medical care for the massive influx of new immigrants. Today, it is the largest provider of public and semi-private health services in Israel. Under Israeli law, it is run as a not-for-profit entity.

History

The foundations for Kupat Holim Clalit were laid by the Judea Workers' Health Fund, established at a convention of the Federation of Workers in Judea in December 1911.

Historically, Clalit was affiliated with the Histadrut labor movement. To be a member of Clalit, one had to join the Histadrut. The name "Clalit" means "general" in Hebrew and derives from the Histadrut's full name – HaHistadrut HaKlalit shel HaOvdim B'Eretz Yisrael (lit. "The General Federation of Laborers in the Land of Israel"). In January 1995, Israel's national health insurance law went into effect, creating a compulsory health care system based on four service providers: Clalit, Leumit, Maccabi, and Meuhedet. Clalit is the largest of the four with around 3.8 million insured members, 54% of the Israeli population. Since the new law went into effect, membership has been open to all citizens and its tie to the Histadrut has been severed.