The core terms
These are the words that decide claims. If you learn only a handful, learn these.
- ביטוח סיעודי (bituach siudi) — long-term care insurance. A contract, private or through a health fund, that pays a monthly benefit.
- גמלת סיעוד (gimlat sius) — the long-term care benefit from National Insurance. A statutory right, paid mostly as services.
- מצב סיעודי (matzav siudi) — the "LTC condition": the state, defined in the policy, that triggers payment.
- תשישות נפש (teshishut nefesh) — cognitive incapacity. A separate route into the definition, based on needing supervision rather than physical dependency.
- מבחן תלות (mivchan tlut) — the dependency assessment carried out at home by National Insurance.
- הערכת תפקוד (haarachat tifkud) — functional assessment, the equivalent examination on behalf of an insurer.
Money and timing
These four determine how much is paid and from when — and they differ between policies.
- תקופת המתנה (tkufat hamtana) — waiting period: the time between the condition arising and payment beginning.
- תקופת אכשרה (tkufat achshara) — qualification period: a period from the start of the policy during which cover is limited.
- פיצוי (pitzui) — a fixed sum paid regardless of actual expenditure.
- שיפוי (shipui) — indemnity: reimbursement against proven expenditure, which means you must keep receipts.
Institutions and documents
Where things are filed and who decides what.
- המוסד לביטוח לאומי (Bituach Leumi) — the National Insurance Institute.
- קופת חולים (kupat holim) — health fund: Clalit, Maccabi, Meuhedet or Leumit.
- הר הביטוח (Har HaBituach) — the official registry for locating insurance policies you may hold.
- רשות שוק ההון (Rashut Shuk HaHon) — the Capital Market, Insurance and Savings Authority, the regulator.
- ויתור סודיות רפואית (vitur sodiut refuit) — medical confidentiality waiver, which insurers require to obtain records.
- ייפוי כוח מתמשך (yipui koach mitmashech) — enduring power of attorney, signed in advance while a person is still competent.
- אפוטרופוס (apotropos) — a guardian appointed by court order.
This page is an English translation of our Hebrew content, written for English speakers living in Israel. Official Israeli terms appear with their Hebrew names so you can recognise them on forms. In any discrepancy, the Hebrew version and the official documents prevail.