The unique identifier as one of the essential tools for steering universal health coverage: The case of Morocco

Abstract

Morocco is carrying out several actions to generalize basic compulsory health insurance (CHI). Managing this project requires coordination, information sharing, and the commitment of all actors to the goal of covering an additional 22 million people. One of the key factors for achieving this objective is the implementation of a unified registration system. The aim is to analyze the existing situation and the feasibility of implementing a unified registration system, and to describe the potential positive impact of the latter on the extension of CHI. This work is based on a diagnosis of the current situation. It draws on the legal framework, all available documents and figures, and on an analytical reading supported by existing literature. It reveals that due to the inadequacy or even the absence of an appropriate legal basis, each managing body has its own registration system. The lack of a unified system has given rise to a number of constraints. These concern, among other things: (i) mobility between or within schemes, which does not operate smoothly because it leads to re-registration (ii) inadequate monitoring of double benefit claims, which is the case for more than one scheme, due to insufficient and hesitant anti-fraud action (iii) the sharing and use of reliable data, which hinders decision making, evaluation, and monitoring. It is essential to adopt legal texts that will provide the basis for a unified system with regulations enabling the participation of all stakeholders, with the aim of steering the roll-out of CHI effectively and efficiently.