Zora Health / Employer guide / Israel
Support employees through fertility treatment, and keep the talent you have invested in.
Fertility treatment rarely fits around a work calendar, and most employees go through it quietly, often while doing some of their best work. Zora Health helps you build practical fertility support, from policies and manager guidance to confidential care navigation and access to 128+ partner clinics in 16 countries, around your workforce and budget. Companies including Hilton, LinkedIn, Sanofi, HSBC, Mastercard, Carousell and Singapore Management University work with us.
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Five things Israeli HR leaders should know
- Israel’s fertility rate was 2.87 in 2024, and it runs 27 IVF cycles per 1,000 women of reproductive age, against 6 in the UK.
- The health basket covers IVF to a woman’s 45th birthday for a first and second child with her current partner, and for single women without children.
- Women aged 30 to 41 can freeze eggs without a medical reason, mostly at their own cost of about ₪10,000 to 20,000 per cycle.
- Employees can use sick leave for fertility treatment and cannot be dismissed during treatment absences or for 150 days afterwards without a Ministry of Labour permit.
- A fixed annual allowance for a third child, egg freezing and private co-payments keeps the budget predictable.
Why fertility is a business problem for employers
Fertility treatment does not fit around a work calendar. A clinic sets the date of a scan the day before. Egg collection happens when the body is ready, usually about 36 hours after a final trigger injection. Then comes a two-week wait, and for many couples, another cycle. Your team feels it: missed meetings, unexplained absences, a strong performer who suddenly goes quiet.
The World Health Organization estimates that about 1 in 6 people worldwide are affected by infertility. We found no Israeli survey on hiding treatment at work, so the figures below come from Ferring‘s November 2025 survey of more than 3,600 people in Australia, France, Japan, Poland and the UK.
- Resignations. 39% of employees with fertility challenges were leaving or considering leaving their job during treatment.
- Lower performance. 36% felt pressure from their employer to be at work during treatment, and 17% took sick leave for lack of flexibility.
- Legal exposure. In 2020 the Tel Aviv Labour Court ordered an employer to pay ₪106,373 to a woman dismissed about a month after IVF treatment without the required permit (Ynet, June 2020).
- Uneven access. Private units performed 60% of IVF procedures in 2021 (State Comptroller).
What employers gain
Keep the people you spent the most to develop
Replacing an employee costs one-half to two times their annual salary, according to Gallup. In Israel, birth rates peak among women aged 30 to 34, at 176.1 births per 1,000 women in 2024 (Central Bureau of Statistics), often the years employees move into senior roles. A written policy, paid time off and a funded allowance can reduce the pressure to leave.
Stand out in a tight labour market
73% of Ferring’s respondents with fertility challenges said they would be attracted to a role that offers fertility support (Ferring, 2025), and 65% in Carrot’s 2023 survey of Canada, India, Mexico, the UK and the US would change jobs for fertility benefits (Carrot, 2023). 70.3% of Israeli women aged 15 to 64 were in the labour force in 2025 (OECD data via FRED). In June 2021, Nvidia announced it would fund surrogacy in full, and adoption, for its more than 2,500 employees in Israel, regardless of gender, sexual orientation or marital status (Jewish Business News, June 2021).
Make fertility support financially predictable
Employers can set annual or lifetime allowances and choose which treatments qualify. WTW projects medical cost trend for the Middle East and Africa region at 11.3% in 2026, with no separate public Israel figure (WTW, October 2025).
Zora helps employers structure benefits around local treatment costs, Israeli law and workforce needs, so HR can run the programme within an agreed budget.
Want to see what this would look like for your Israeli workforce?
What IVF costs, and what the state pays
The national health basket, provided through the four health funds (HMOs), covers IVF for women up to their 45th birthday who want a first or second child with their current partner, whatever children they have from earlier relationships (Maccabi), and women without children who want to raise a child alone (Ministry of Health). The treating doctor sets the number of cycles, and treatment at a public hospital is free apart from a quarterly outpatient fee of ₪41.
| Item | Typical cost (₪) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| IVF, one privately funded cycle | 15,000 to 30,000 | Higher for complex treatment |
| Insemination (IUI), one private cycle | 1,500 to 4,000 | Basket cover for eligible patients |
| Egg freezing without a medical reason, one cycle | 10,000 to 20,000 | Medicines and storage fees extra |
| IVF for a third child, Maccabi Sheli or Zahav member | 1,966.32 co-payment | For stimulation, egg retrieval and transfer; up to 7 cycles per child |
| Item | Public support (or own savings) | What the employee still carries |
|---|---|---|
| IVF for a first or second child with the current partner | Health basket | Deductibles for a chosen doctor at a private hospital (₪955.24 at Maccabi), and time off |
| IVF for a third or later child | None in the basket; supplementary insurance where held, after a 12-month wait at Maccabi | Co-payments, or the full private price without a plan |
| IVF with donor eggs | Health basket up to age 54 | Donations came from 547 donors abroad in 2022 (Ministry of Health) |
| Egg freezing without a medical reason, ages 30 to 41 | Some supplementary plans, such as Maccabi Sheli: ₪3,500 co-payment per cycle, ages 31 to 38, up to 3 cycles | The private price, plus medicines and yearly storage |
| Tax relief | We found no tax relief for fertility treatment | Not applicable |
Sources: Maccabi; Maccabi, third child; Ministry of Health IVF handbook; State Comptroller, November 2024; ice.co.il, October 2026. Private prices come from a news report and vary by clinic.
Age strongly affects IVF success. Ministry of Health and Gertner Institute data for 2021, as reported by ice.co.il, put live births per fresh embryo transfer at about 26% under 35, 20% at 35 to 37, 15% at 38 to 39, 11% at 41 and 2% at 44. The State Comptroller calls the national IVF database incomplete, so treat these as indicative.
Give Employees Access to Fertility Specialists
Help employees navigate fertility care with access to doctors and clinics, treatment information, and clear guidance on IVF, egg freezing and other fertility options. Employees can explore their options privately, without needing to go through HR.
Fertility support that fits your workforce and budget
You do not need to overhaul your existing health insurance to support employees through fertility treatment. Start with awareness and manager education, add confidential one-to-one support, or introduce a funded allowance across your offices. There is no minimum company size.
Where included in the employer programme, eligible employees can use talks and care navigation without paying Zora a separate fee. Care navigation allowances are set in each proposal. Treatment and other third-party costs are paid separately, either by employees or through the fertility allowance their employer provides.
Companies starting the conversation
Essentials
Expert-led talks for employees and managers, fertility and menopause policy templates, manager guides and full access to the Zora app. Up to 2 talks a year.
Employees supported one to one
Navigation
Everything in Essentials, plus confidential one-to-one care navigation and access to our partner clinic network.
Large and multi-country teams
Complete
Everything in Navigation, plus quarterly anonymised reporting, a dedicated account manager and scheduled review meetings with HR.
Optional add-ons can be added to any programme, subject to availability: hormone and fertility diagnostics and telehealth with specialists. Pricing is tailored to your headcount, your countries and the services you choose. Most companies start with a single talk.
Request a proposal See how Zora works for employers
Comparing fertility benefit providers? Use our RFP question bank
Our RFP question bank has 40 questions, with why each one matters, what a good answer looks like and a scoring sheet for three providers. Six of the questions for Israel:
- Are local-plan employees covered, or only staff on international health plans?
- Do you require an infertility diagnosis before support starts?
- Which public and private IVF units can employees use in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa and the south, and how do you help them choose between a public hospital and a chosen doctor?
- How does the allowance work alongside the health basket and each HMO’s supplementary insurance, for example for a third child, treatment after the 45th birthday or non-medical egg freezing?
- How do you help managers apply the Employment of Women Law rules on treatment absence and the 150-day dismissal protection?
- How is employee health data handled under the Protection of Privacy Law and Amendment 13 as especially sensitive data, and what does the employer see?
Your download link appears here as soon as you submit. Zora Health may contact you about employee benefits; see our privacy policy.
Plan your fertility benefit budget
Fertility benefit budget planner
Model the annual claims budget for a fertility allowance. Change any number.
This is a claims budget, not a Zora quotation. Zora’s programme fees, implementation and optional services are separate.
Illustration only. Utilisation is an editable assumption, not observed Zora data. The calculation assumes each user claims their full annual allowance, and excludes programme fees and setup costs. For a tailored model, request an employer proposal.
Estimate the potential workforce impact of fertility challenges
A rough planning scenario. It applies a global infertility estimate to your headcount, so it is not a prediction for your workforce, a measured loss or a forecast of savings from any programme.
Range: ₪751,667 to ₪2,126,667 a year, depending on replacement cost.
Assumptions: infertility affects about 1 in 6 adults (World Health Organization, 2023), applied to employees aged 25 to 44. Replacing an employee costs one-half to two times their annual salary (Gallup, 2019); the headline uses the low end. Absence is valued at salary divided by 250 working days. Exit rate and days lost are your own assumptions.
This is a hypothetical cost scenario, not a prediction of actual employee departures, an estimate of Zora’s financial impact or a guaranteed saving from fertility benefits.
Already have corporate health insurance? Here is where Zora fits
Your medical plan may cover some consultations and tests, but fertility treatment is often limited or excluded, so check your policy wording. Employees still need to understand their options, the public funding they qualify for and which clinic suits them.
Zora works alongside your existing insurance and benefits. We help employees get reliable information, navigate their care options and reach suitable specialists, and we give HR manager guidance, policy templates and, on the Complete programme, anonymised reporting. You strengthen fertility support without replacing your medical plan.
How Zora works
For your employees
Employees join the Zora app with a company code, or single sign-on for larger teams. They can learn about fertility and egg freezing, understand what your benefit covers, book a confidential care navigation call and find partner clinics and specialists.
For HR
- Kick-off, week 1. Agree goals, countries and which employees are eligible.
- Policy and benefit design, weeks 2 to 4. Draft or update your fertility policy using our templates.
- Launch, typically weeks 4 to 6. A launch talk for employees and managers, plus a communications pack for HR to send.
- Live support. Employees book care navigation calls and use the Zora app.
- Reporting, every 3 months, on the Complete programme. Anonymised usage, common themes and our recommendations, reviewed with your account manager.
Privacy
Employee privacy is central to our programmes. On the Complete programme, routine employer reports contain aggregated engagement and utilisation information, with safeguards to prevent identification of individual employees. On every programme, personal health information is not included in standard HR reporting, and employees can get help without telling their manager. Where eligibility checks or claims administration need individual-level data, access is limited to authorised parties for defined purposes, as agreed in writing before launch. Employee data is handled in line with Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act and Israel’s Protection of Privacy Law, 1981, as amended by Amendment 13, which treats medical information as especially sensitive data.
Clinics and doctors in Israel
Zora’s clinic and doctor directory does not list providers in Israel yet. It lists 421 clinics and 1,185 doctors across 25 countries, mostly in Asia Pacific and the Middle East (browse clinics or browse doctors). Employees in Israel can still use Zora’s education and the Zora app. Ask us how your team in Israel would use Zora before you launch. See Zora’s employer guides for every country.
Rules and eligibility in Israel
Egg donation
Under the Egg Donation Law, passed in June 2010, a donor must be at least 21 and under 35, and a recipient under 54. Donor and recipient are not told each other’s identity. The default is a donor of the same religion as the recipient; a donor of another religion requires the recipient’s informed written consent (Knesset, Egg Donation Bill for second and third readings, May 2010).
Surrogacy for same-sex couples and single men
Surrogacy is regulated by the Embryo Carrying Agreements Law of 1996. On 11 July 2021 the High Court of Justice struck down the exclusion of same-sex couples and single men, with 6 months to implement (Ynetnews, July 2021). The Ministry of Health opened the process to these groups and to transgender people from 11 January 2022 (PinkNews, January 2022).
Egg freezing without a medical reason
Approved IVF units can freeze eggs for women aged 30 to 41: up to 6 retrievals, capped at 25 eggs for ages 30 to 36 and 35 eggs for ages 36 to 41. Eggs are stored for 5 years, extendable, and the woman pays (gov.il). Health funds cover medical egg freezing when the cycle starts before the 39th birthday (Yad L’Olim, June 2023).
Treatment absence, dismissal protection and maternity leave
With a doctor’s confirmation and notice to the employer, employees can use accrued sick leave for fertility treatment: a woman on a 5-day week for up to 4 cycles of up to 16 days, capped at 64 days a year (80 days on a 6-day week), and a man for up to 12 days (Nefesh B’Nefesh). An employee may not be dismissed during treatment absences or for 150 days afterwards without a Ministry of Labour permit (Afik & Co., December 2023). Maternity leave is 26 weeks after a year of employment, 15 of them paid by Bituach Leumi, and a partner can take part of the leave after the first 6 weeks (Nefesh B’Nefesh).
Discrimination protection and health data
The Employment (Equal Opportunities) Law, 1988, bars discrimination at every stage from hiring to dismissal on grounds that include reproductive issues, parenthood and personal status (Equal Employment Opportunities Commission, May 2023). Amendment 13 to the Protection of Privacy Law took effect on 14 August 2025. It treats health data as information of special sensitivity and requires health funds, insurers and others processing such data on a significant scale to appoint a data protection officer (Library of Congress, November 2025).
Why employers choose Zora
Companies including Hilton, LinkedIn, Sanofi, HSBC, Mastercard, Carousell and Singapore Management University work with Zora Health. We work alongside your existing insurance, helping employees use the cover they already have and find suitable specialists based on their needs.
Trying to conceive with a heavy workload took a toll on my husband and me. It helped us understand our options.
Questions HR teams ask us
Is fertility leave mandatory in Israel?
There is no separate paid fertility leave. Employees can use their accrued sick leave for fertility treatment with a doctor’s confirmation: a woman on a 5-day week for up to 4 cycles of up to 16 days, capped at 64 days a year, and a man for up to 12 days. Employers may not dismiss an employee during treatment absences or for 150 days afterwards without a Ministry of Labour permit. Extra paid days depend on company policy.
Does the health basket pay for IVF in Israel?
Yes. The national health basket, provided through the four health funds, covers IVF up to a woman’s 45th birthday for a first and second child with her current partner, and for single women without children. The number of cycles is set by the treating doctor. Treatment for a third child is outside the basket and depends on supplementary insurance or private payment, typically ₪15,000 to 30,000 per cycle.
Who can freeze their eggs in Israel?
Women aged 30 to 41 can freeze eggs without a medical reason at Ministry of Health approved IVF units, for up to 6 retrievals or 25 eggs (ages 30 to 36) or 35 eggs (ages 36 to 41). Most pay for it themselves, at about ₪10,000 to 20,000 per cycle, though some supplementary plans contribute. Health funds cover medical egg freezing when the cycle starts before the 39th birthday.
Does Zora replace our health insurance?
No. Zora works alongside your insurance. We help employees understand their options, find suitable specialists and use the cover they already have.
How much does a fertility benefit cost an employer?
It depends on the allowance, eligibility and expected uptake. Use the budget planner on this page for a first estimate, then ask us for a tailored proposal based on your headcount and countries.
How quickly can we launch?
Typically 4 to 6 weeks from contract to launch, depending on scope and countries. Most companies start with a single talk.
Related guides for Israeli employers
Build a fertility benefit for your team
Whether you are introducing fertility benefits for the first time or improving an existing programme, tell us your headcount, countries and priorities. We will come back within two working days with suitable services, an indicative budget and a practical rollout plan for your Israeli team. No obligation.
Not ready to talk yet? Explore how Zora works
Sources
- Central Bureau of Statistics, Statistical Abstract of Israel 2025, table 2.29, fertility rates 2024
- State Comptroller of Israel, In Vitro Fertilization in Israel: Regulatory and Supervisory Aspects, November 2024
- Peipert et al., Global in vitro fertilization utilization: how does the United States compare?, Fertility and Sterility Reports, September 2023 (2018 data)
- Maariv, Knesset Health Committee discussion on the IVF age limit, September 2024 (2022 treatment and birth figures)
- Maccabi Healthcare Services, In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) eligibility
- Maccabi Healthcare Services, IVF for women for a third child and beyond
- Ministry of Health, IVF handbook
- gov.il, Find out about freezing eggs (oocytes)
- Yad L’Olim, Egg freezing guide, updated June 2023
- ice.co.il, private fertility treatment costs and success rates by age (citing Ministry of Health and Gertner Institute 2021 data), October 2026
- Knesset, Egg Donation Bill 5770-2010, version for second and third readings, May 2010
- Ynetnews, High Court overturns ban on surrogacy for same-sex couples, single men, July 2021
- PinkNews, Israel scraps LGBT+ surrogacy ban, January 2022
- Nefesh B’Nefesh, Women’s rights in the workplace
- Afik & Co., Employer who terminates an employee under fertility treatments may be required to compensate, December 2023
- Ynet, Fired during fertility treatments, awarded 106,000 shekels, June 2020
- Equal Employment Opportunities Commission, statement by National Commissioner Mariam Kabaha, UPR 43rd session, May 2023
- Library of Congress, Israel: Amendment to Privacy Protection Law goes into effect, November 2025
- OECD, female labour force participation rate, ages 15 to 64, Israel, via FRED
- WTW, 2026 Global Medical Trends Survey, October 2025
- Jewish Business News, Nvidia Israel to fund adoption and surrogacy for all employees, June 2021
- Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Fertility Matters at Work and This Can Happen, workplace fertility survey, November 2025
- Carrot Fertility, Global Fertility at Work report, 2023
- Gallup, This fixable problem costs US businesses $1 trillion, 2019
- World Health Organization, 1 in 6 people globally affected by infertility, April 2023
Information on this page is correct as of 5 November 2026. Laws, public funding, insurance rules and treatment costs change often, so check current rules with the relevant authority, insurer or a qualified adviser before making decisions. This page is general information, not legal, financial, tax or medical advice.