Insurance intermediaries are asking the authorities to postpone until 2029 turning the Compulsory Health Insurance scheme (AMO) into a universal programme across the country.
Mr Farid Bensaid, president of the National Federation of Agents and Brokers of Morocco (FNACAM), voiced this request on behalf of the federation’s members, according to local media reports.
He presented a wishlist drawn up by insurance intermediaries:
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FNACAM members’ wish list
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Replies from government agencies
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Postpone deadline for full implementation of AMO till 2029
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CNSS says that the implementation of universal health insurance (via the AMO) has been long awaited. He said that a further wait of five years (till 2029) “does not make sense”, and would give the impression that postponement would be detrimental to universal healthcare coverage
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The government should not provide too many medical benefits in the AMO so as to leave room for commercial supplementary health insurance coverage
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CNSS says that there is room for insurers to offer supplementary health insurance to cover, for example, in part or in full, the 30% of healthcare costs that the AMO does not cover
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The operational system of the AMO should be digitalised
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CNSS says that digitalisation is very expensive and moves will be made gradually
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ACAPS should allow intermediaries to offer new services to offset losses that could arise from the transfer of medical insurance policies to the AMO.
Estimates are that insurance intermediaries could lose around MAD400m ($40m) in commissions following the shift to AMO
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ACAPS says that it is in the process of examining the request sent to it by FNACAM concerning new services. The regulator adds that it has, since the beginning of this year, been considering the possibility of allowing intermediaries to handle medical claim management on behalf insurance companies and to be agents of payments companies
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Insurance companies should revise commission rates for intermediaries
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CNSS = National Social Security Fund
ACAPS = Insurance and Social Security Control Authority
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Previously, the Moroccan government had sought to expand access to health insurance for citizens through two programmes, Mandatory Health Insurance (AMO) and the Medical Aid Regime (RAMED) which covered the formal and informal employment sectors respectively. Both were launched in 2005. In 2022, the two schemes were merged into one (referred to as AMO). The 11m beneficiaries of RAMED were transferred to the consolidated scheme and now benefit from the same health coverage as those in the formal sector, but are not required to pay subscriptions. The merged scheme is managed by the CNSS. Subscribers can receive medical treatment at private healthcare facilities and public hospitals or clinics. The objective is to ease the burden on public medical facilities and ensure universal access to healthcare.