Healthcare in Morocco

Very good question!
I have been living in Tangier for over a year now without the slightest idea about what to do if I need a Doctor. I'll find out when the time has come unless unexpected answers come in from other expats...
Talla sa7atek !

Beat 1111

You must do some thing about this as you might be truly stuck

Hi Jimmy, did you find out and decide something?

You need to pay to see a doctor and you need to pay hospital fees.

Yes, of course, if you are wealthy enough you can bet on staying healthy!
Otherwise it feels good to know you will be refunded by your insurance...

I think insurance is very costly and many British people live 6 months in England and 6 months in Morocco so they can call on NHS
But what if they needed emergency health care.  It's very precarious

I shattered my ankle 3 years ago.  I was transported to Marrakech by “ambulance” and had to pay first before I was admitted to the hospital for surgery.  About $6500 up front.  I got some of that back from my insurance company, but that was a lot to come with all at once.

JIMMY BOND wrote:

I think insurance is very costly and many British people live 6 months in England and 6 months in Morocco so they can call on NHS
But what if they needed emergency health care.  It's very precarious

Cigna (Insurance) covers Morocco, Europe and several Commonwealth countries. At $450 per month is not cheap. But much cheaper than my Health Insurance in the US with Oxford Blue-Cross Blue-Shield, about $1200 per month, and only covers treatment and doctor visits in the U.S. Not even in Canada.

The quality of healthcare in private hospitals in big cities in Morocco; Marrakech, Rabat and Tangier, is actually very good. I have several British and Swiss elderly friends treated with hip surgery, kidney surgery, hearth surgery and Lymphoma cancer with much success. All performed by Moroccan doctors trained in France, paid partially by their health insurance or out of pocket.

It is the accessibility of healthcare that’s a problem in Morocco. Just like in the USA......

There seem to be roughly three categories of expat insurance: One is the kind made for tourists that only works in connection with the domestic healthcare of the country of origin
The second is the kind that is meant for digital nomads/globetrotters covering more or less the whole world
Last but maybe best for expats planning to stay permanently in Morocco might be to choose the kind of insurance that is meant for the citizens of this country?

Ok, what insurance is that? Sounds good to me.

I got no idea! Am I naive to imagine that I can be covered by the regular Moroccan health insurance system?

Béat1111 wrote:

I got no idea! Am I naive to imagine that I can be covered by the regular Moroccan health insurance system?

Cigna
Contact Jonathon (dot) Fisher at Cigna
He helped me transfer coverage from Blue-Cross Blue-Shield USA to Cigna in Jan 2017.

Ibelieve we are not eligible for moroccos healthcare system.  Someone correct me if I am wrong ok?

I did and because of my age , no way can I pay the premiums.

Cathylesher wrote:

Ibelieve we are not eligible for moroccos healthcare system.  Someone correct me if I am wrong ok?

True.
One needs to be a Moroccan citizen.
Or at least that’s what I have been told.

Cathylesher wrote:

I did and because of my age , no way can I pay the premiums.

Are you sure you and Jonathon select the important coverage only?
I wasn’t a spring chicken either when signing up, 45 to be exact. And for some reason he managed to put up a package that cost 1/3 of what I’d been paying in the USA.
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But honestly, if one is healthy, one doesn’t need heath insurance in Morocco. Life is simple and easy with less worry than in the States. Just take a good care of your health and put some money aside for contingency. 
I know many very elderly European and Americans living in Morocco without health insurance. They just pay out of pocket for any drastic procedure like hip replacement, about 6000 USD at the best surgeon in the country . All of them were so happy with the result......
How do we think the elderly Moroccans survive? When something bad happens the family chip in to cover medical cost. Not ideal (in our westernised world) but very human. I think. ........

Thanks a lot for that pragmatic advice, Abe 123! Maybe you are much younger and richer than I am but you made me stop worrying that I might be unreasonable.

I did , yes. But I am on Medicare in the states , so if something really serious will just fly back, if we ever can, and see my dr. There.

Béat1111 wrote:

Thanks a lot for that pragmatic advice, Abe 123! Maybe you are much younger and richer than I am but you made me stop worrying that I might be unreasonable.

One cannot retire in North Africa and carry the same baggage (the non-stop worrisome perspective) from our home countries.

True I am not yet 50, and have no pre-existing condition, knock wood! However, I have befriended many American, British and Swiss expats at the local Bridge Club and Book Club. They are all over 75 years of age and been living in this Continent for over a quarter of a century. Most of them moved to Morocco when they were about my age now. None of them, except one or two Swiss nationals, keep any health Insurance. It’s true that they are all very healthy - thanks to their daily walk routine - and far from poor. But they are no more than middle class in their home countries. I mean, how much pension in Euros or USD a music teacher, a graphic designer and an unknown writer make? Not much.

Stay healthy, avoid unlimited imbibing (the number one vice of expats!), and safe some cash for contingency. That’s all.

One of the problem the new comers - mostly European senior citizens - is their desire to preserve a “good Façade” when trying to understand how those long-time residents survive in North Africa. As a Brit, I am sure you have witnessed how two polite senior citizens discussing touchy subject matters; Each will say totally the opposite of what he or she really wants to convey! Conversation stifled and no nobody gets the gist of the real situation............ This doesn’t apply to me because: a) I am an American, and b) everybody treats me like their son. I can ask whatever I want without having to worry of losing a good “façade”! They all have been giving me their best directives and advices about how to survive in this country, including arranging our off-shore finances, legal matters and taxes.

If you can live permanently in Morocco, it is a good idea to get a Card Nationals. With that card, I was informed that after a couple of years (needs to verify this), one can apply for local Health Insurance covered by the Moroccan National Social Security Fund (CNSS). I know this is the case with the French.

As expected, French Nationals have their own rule (that doesn’t apply to us, U.S. and U.K. Citizen). Google below link.

Assurance maladie - Les Consulats Généraux de France au Maroc

Yes, the French have very cushy arrangement with the Moroccan government. But it is, after all, their former colony. You might want to search the British equivalent of this arrangement. I know the U.S. has nothing in this field. Surprised? Not really. What can one expect from a country that can’t even provide masks to its healthcare providers during a pandemic?

I have suggested Cigna (insurance) at above tread because I am not yet retired full time. My entrepreneur endeavour requires me to occasionally travels to the U.S, where I still keep a place, so it’s good to have a Health Insurance (by Cigna) for things that are not covered by regular Travel Insurance. But this arrangement with Cigna will be useless once one’s travels are limited between Morocco and Europe.

Emigrating for good means to also leave behind the mindset that belongs to the world you're leaving.

ABE

You say look after your health and you will be ok.   Really.  There are hundreds of cancers that come to healthy people and most are incurable.
Strokes and heart attacks are common over 50.
As a resident you need health cover. I think it's ok if you have wealth

Well,
We all can always come home for serious procedure if needed, no?
And with the current requirements imposed by the Moroccan government to get Carte de Sejour;
30,000 € cash in the local bank Account (and must be kept in the country) for renters and 10,000 € for property owners, then its true one must be relatively wealthy, even by Europe standard.
And why not? Morocco shouldn’t be the repository for poor Europeans who wants cheap living in North Africa, contributing nothing to the local economy........

The depositary thresholds seem high to me
ABE

Abe, is it really that much money in Moroccan bank for Carte de Sejour?  I would want to avoid filling for FBAR. I haven't researched it yet. but think I can fill differently, since I'm married to Moroccan National.

Update: I've read it depends on where you decide to live in Morocco. Yes, Tangier requires that much in Moroccan bank, while In Agadir, you must prove that you have an overseas bank monthly standing order into your Moroccan bank account of at least 350 Euros a month. Don't cancel the bank mandate after you get your card. You will required to take all of your bank statements with you when you go to renew your card after the first year. No big 300,000 dirhams deposit required in Agadir. Of course, requirements can change.

I do think Abes figures are high
Yahya411

Abe is correct. I was surprised myself. If you own property in Morocco, than you only need 100,000 dirhams in Moroccan bank or show deposits from your home country's bank depositing into the Moroccan bank. It does depend on the city you reside.