OTZMA provides participants with insurance for routine medical care and hospitalization in Israel throughout the program. Constraints and exceptions are explained below. You may want to continue your own insurance coverage as well, though most OTZMA participants express that the insurance given through OTZMA is sufficient. Throughout the year, OTZMA uses an insurance plan through the Jewish Agency for Israel. Participants will receive an insurance card with the company’s 24-hour hotline number. In the event that a participant is in need of medical care, s/he must call the insurance hotline that will direct him/her to the nearest doctor. Most laboratory testing and X-rays will be covered if referred by an insurance-covered doctor. Prescription medicine will be covered if an insurance-covered doctor writes the prescription and filled at an insurance-accepting pharmacy. Dental work is covered only for immediate pain relief. Should you have a real emergency situation and present yourself at the emergency room of a hospital, you are to present the insurance card given to you at the beginning of the year. This will cover you for all emergency room treatment, surgery, and/or hospitalization.

NOTE: Medical coverage does not include routine dental care, mental health services, pregnancy, abortion, or any chronic or pre-existing conditions. The policy does not cover any self-inflicted injuries, AIDS-related, or alcohol and/or drug-induced illnesses.

Therefore, anyone who suffers from a chronic or pre-existing condition must arrange separate insurance coverage in the U.S. or Canada or be prepared to pay if medical treatment for that condition becomes necessary in Israel. The exception to this is the worsening of conditions of allergies or asthma, which is covered.

THE INSURANCE POLICY COVERS OTZMA PARTICIPANTS ONLY FOR THE DURATION OF THE PROGRAM AND WHILE THEY ARE WITHIN THE BORDERS OF THE COUNTRY OF ISRAEL. IF YOU TRAVEL OUTSIDE ISRAEL AT ANY POINT DURING THE PROGRAM YEAR, YOU ARE NOT INSURED THROUGH THE POLICY PROVIDED.

Three options for obtaining travel insurance if you leave Israel during the 10-months are as follows: 

• If you purchase an International Student ID card (ISIC) while still in North America, it includes emergency health insurance anywhere you travel while your card is valid. There is also a card for people under the age of 25 who are no longer students. Please check with your local student travel agency (i.e. Council Travel) on health insurance restrictions on both cards to ensure the insurance policies meet your needs. Other benefits of the ISIC card are discounts on bus travel in Israel and reduced fares in museums.
• It is possible to buy last minute travel insurance on a per diem basis from travel agencies in Israel (i.e. ISSTA). The insurance will cost approximately $10 for the policy act, as well as a $3 per day charge.
• It is possible to buy travelers' insurance through the provided insurance policy as well. It costs approximately $1.20 per day (not including luggage), and there is also a one-time $10 fee for the policy.

The standard of medical care in Israel is recognized as being one of the finest in the world, but medicine as practiced by the health funds is not a consumer-oriented business venture. The medical field is socialized and is what Israelis are accustomed to, and what they will expect you to be satisfied with. "Bedside manner" as you might be accustomed to in the U.S. and Canada will be minimal. Clinics and hospitals are very basic and far from the plush private facilities one might be used to in North America.

Should you wish at any time during the course of the program to consult a private physician not included on the list, you can do so at your own expense. The OTZMA staff can provide you with names of doctors in your area, (i.e. dental, gynecological, psychological) but the staff cannot vouch for any private doctor you see. The OTZMA staff is not responsible for private referrals.

Remember: If you take medication of any kind, please bring a 10- month supply with you!