Of the four active health plans in the State of Israel, Clalit Health Services is the largest. As of 2018, the health plan insures close to 5 million residents of the State of Israel, who constitute more than half of the country's total residents. The health plan has an extensive history of over 100 years of existence, and provides various health services to its members.
The History of Clalit Health Fund
The story of Clalit Health Services begins somewhere in 1911, with an incident in which a worker named Baruch Priber lost his arm while working. From here came the understanding that the Histadrut of Agricultural Workers in Judea, the Histadrut of which Baruch Priber was a member, had to establish some kind of organization that could provide medical services to the members of the Histadrut. The proposal, which was put on the table by Berl Katznelson, was presented to the members of the Histadrut and was accepted almost unanimously.
At this initial stage, only independent professionals or laborers with no salaried employees could join the health fund, but of course later on, this behavior changed and the health plan also appealed to the general public.
The development of the HMO
Clalit Health Services has undergone both external and internal changes over the years. For a period of time, the health fund was divided into three separate bodies, after which the three bodies became two main bodies, the division of which stemmed from the political system in Israel at the time, in the 1920s: the health fund of Hapoel Hatzair and the secular fund of Ahdut Ha'Avoda.
It was only in 1993 that the health plan became what we know it today – the Clalit Health Services Health Fund, after a merger, split, activity under the Histadrut and a separation from it.
Clalit Health Fund's Framework of Activity
As the largest health plan in Israel, the scope of activity of Clalit Health Services is very extensive. It includes more than 1,400 clinics scattered throughout the country, about 14 hospitals, about 450 pharmacies, dozens of child health centers, women's health centers, "Tipat Halav" centers, complementary medicine clinics, Clalit Smile clinics, aesthetic centers, emergency medicine centers, Ambulances , Institutes, Laboratories, Clalit's home doctor service And.
Activity that exceeds the framework of the fund itself
Since Clalit Health Services has no less than fourteen hospitals throughout the country, it certainly allows, within the framework of agreements with the other health plans in Israel, the hospitalization and treatment of policyholders from the other health plans.
The hospitals of Clalit Health Services are: Schneider Children's Center, Beit Rivka, Geha Mental Health Center, Golda Campus and Beilinson Hospital – all in Petah Tikva, HaEmek Hospital in Afula, Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot, Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba, Beit Levinstein in Ra'anana, Carmel Medical Center in Haifa, Herzfeld Geriatric Medical Center in Gedera, Shalvata Mental Health Center in Hod Hasharon. Soroka University Medical Center in Be'er Sheva and Yoseftal Hospital in Eilat.
Options for expanding medical insurance through the health plan
Clalit Health Services provides the option of expanding medical insurance for policyholders in various plans, as well as companies that provide supplementary services:
1. Clalit Perfect – As part of the Clalit Perfect plan, policyholders will benefit from long-term care insurance and coverage included in the "Clalit Platinum" and "Clalit Perfect" plans. In addition, the "Clalit Abroad" program is included in this program.
2. Mor Institute – The famous institute offers a variety of comprehensive and advanced medical services.
3. "A way of life" – A center that includes various health products, treatments such as reflexology, shiatsu, massages and more, workshops and classes.
4. Clalit Complementary Medicine, Clalit Smile and Clalit Aesthetics – Clalit's subsidiary "S.L.H. – Medical Services Ltd.", offers a variety of medical services such as complementary medicine, aesthetics, dentistry, and more.
How Clalit Health Services Cracked the Technology of the 21st Century
Clalit Health Services, like many other health plans and other fields, has also discovered the modern technology of the 21st century, and it makes efficient, smart, accessible and available use of it through a variety of technological tools.
Thus, for example, it is now possible to receive almost all the health services that the patient needs online, both through the health plan's website and through the application that is available for download and immediate use for all health plan members – scheduling appointments, receiving prescriptions for various medications, consultation and meeting with a family doctor or professional doctor, receiving test results, and more. In addition, the HMO's website offers a huge variety of video and written content that is a professional source regarding medications, treatments, and frequently asked questions.
Clalit's Youtube Channel
In addition to all of Clalit Health Services' great digital services, the HMO also operates a Youtube channel, to which it uploads video content on a huge variety of topics – common questions and answers, guidance on topics such as pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, guidance on performing physiotherapy exercises and performing physical activity at home – which was especially useful during the Corona lockdown, lectures on relationships and other great content accessible to the general public.