Health insurance and managed care in Morocco : status and potential

Few Moroccans are covered by any type of health insurance: approximately 10% are covered by mutual insurance plans for public sector employees under an umbrella organization known as the Caisse Nationale des Organismes de Prevoyance Sociale (CNOPS), and another 4% are covered by private insurance plans or mutuals set up by private employers. This study describes the health insurance market in Morocco, and examines prospects for the creation of managed care arrangements. Section I examines: CNOPS and its member mutuals; the social security fund, or Caisse Nationale de Securitie Sociale; and private insurance companies and self-insurance. This section concludes that a significant expansion of health insurance could take place without making insurance mandatory if some of the regulatory obstacles to offering more cost-effective insurance products were removed. Section II examines managed care strategies, including HMOs, preferred provider organizations, and individual practice associations, giving attention to the demand for HMO products, potential sponsors of managed care, and the legal and regulatory obstacles. (Author abstract, modified)