Morocco has a two-tier health insurance system comprised of both private and public coverage, but it should be noted that the public healthcare system is well below the standard of Western nations and many expats opt for private cover to avoid the problems of the public sector.

Morocco does not currently have a universal or compulsory health insurance system, although it does have a public health insurance scheme, AMO: a voluntary health insurance system for certain segments of the population. You will be entitled to coverage under the scheme if you have been making national insurance contributions for 55 days.

The system is divided into the CNSS (Caisse nationale de sécurité sociale / National Social Security) for employees in the private sector and CNOPS (Caisse nationale des organismes de prévoyance sociales / National Social Welfare Organisations), for those employed in the public sector, such as civil servants. A system called RAMED (Régime d’assistance médicale aux personnes économiquement démunies) is available for those in lower socio-economic brackets.

You will be eligible as an employee if you are making national insurance contributions; it is likely that you will be paying into the CNSS, as most expats are private sector workers. Otherwise you will require private cover.

Note that if you are French, the two countries have signed a bilateral healthcare agreement, so your French health insurance will cover you in Morocco as well.

Private sector employers will need to enrol you in the CNSS, so that you can be issued with an insurance card and receive AMO benefits.

Public sector employees must register with CNOPS in order to access AMO benefits.

The company is free to add top-up cover to your basic insurance, so you may wish to discuss any health insurance packages with your employer.

The national health insurance scheme covers:

• general medicine
• medical and surgical specialties
• pregnancy, childbirth and post-natal care
• laboratory tests
• radiology and medical imaging
• optical care
• oral health
• paramedic services

The public system does not cover work-related accidents or occupational diseases.

Prescriptions are covered to some extent and the number of reimbursable drugs has been increased.

If you are enrolled in AMO, you may still need to make some upfront payments, but these are very cheap compared to the Western medical sector: a visit to your GP can cost between $10-15, medications cost a few dollars, and an operation can cost in the region of $500+.

Morocco is a popular choice of destination for retirees due to its climate, financial and tax benefits, and other considerations. Many retirees choose to retire to Marrakesh. However, many expats take out comprehensive private health insurance rather than relying on making out of pocket payments: it is unlikely that you will be eligible for coverage by AMO.

Moroccan students are covered by national health insurance but as an international student you will need to take out private health cover. You may wish to opt for an international provider, with the option of medical evacuation.

Your spouse and any children under the age of 21 will be covered by your insurance under AMO.

AMO will cover basic dental treatment. However, as with other medical facilities, dental care in Morocco might not be of a high standard.

Contributions are set at around 5%, shared equally with your employer so that 2.5% is levied directly on your monthly salary. The minimum contribution is 70 dirhams (US$7) and the maximum cannot exceed 400 dirhams (US$41).

CNOPS reimbursements are calculated on the basic rate, the rest being borne by the employee.

Healthcare in Morocco is not of a high standard and you may opt for private cover to avoid any of the difficulties with the national system. Since the country has strong historical links with both Spain and France, patients are sometimes transferred to hospitals in these countries and it is therefore advisable to take out cover which has a medical evacuation clause. Medical evacuation can cost nearly US$30K if you pay out of pocket, so considering insurance is imperative.

Out of pocket payments in the private sector in Morocco can be costly, with a hospital stay costing around $300+ per day, and many expats opt for comprehensive health cover with international companies.

Private health insurance will cover a range of primary healthcare and hospital treatment, in addition to any elective surgery or advanced dental or optical treatment.

As so many variables have an effect on the cost of international private medical insurance it becomes very difficult to give accurate estimates without knowing the full details of the coverage required. However, as a very rough guide, using a standard profile of a 40 year old British male with no deductibles, no co-insurance, a middle tier plan/product, all modules included and worldwide coverage excluding the US, a ballpark price of around £4,000/$5,000 might be expected.

Some of the main international health insurance providers cover Morocco, including:

• Allianz
• Cigna
• Foyer Global Health
• Pacific Prime

CNOPS / Caisse nationale des organismes de prévoyance sociales / National Social Welfare Organisations - for public sector employees

CNSS / Caisse nationale de sécurité sociale / National Social Security - for employees in the private sector

RAMED / Régime d’assistance médicale aux personnes économiquement démunies - for lower socio-economic brackets.