CNSS Health Scheme Faces Deficit, Benefits Exceed Contributions by 57%

Rabat – Morocco’s National Social Security Fund (CNSS) has revealed that its compulsory health insurance scheme for non-salaried workers is facing a structural deficit, with payments significantly higher than the contributions collected.

The announcement came during a meeting of the CNSS Board of Directors on Thursday, where members reviewed the fund’s 2025 results and approved its 2026 action plan and budget.

According to the CNSS, the scheme for non-salaried workers covered 1.69 million principal insured people in 2025, an increase of 4% from the previous year. Benefits paid under the scheme reached MAD 2.28 billion ($228 million), up 24%.

The CNSS said the scheme has a structural deficit because the value of benefits paid is higher than the contributions collected. The ratio of benefits to contributions reached 157% in 2025, an increase of 25 percentage points from 2024.

The fund said it is working with the relevant government departments to increase enrollment and improve the collection of contributions.

Wider pressure on CNSS

The figures come as concerns grow over the longer-term financial health of Morocco’s social security system.

Last month, economist Zakaria Garti warned about several pressures facing the CNSS. He noted that the fund’s overall surplus fell by about 40% in 2025, from roughly MAD 4 billion to MAD 2.4 billion, even though the fund remained in surplus.

Garti also pointed to a decline in the CNSS’s financial returns. Income generated from its reserves fell from around MAD 1.5 billion in 2024 to MAD 400 million in 2025, a drop of nearly 74%.

He raised questions about how the fund manages its reserves, noting that the CNSS holds more than MAD 65 billion in reserves out of around MAD 340 billion in total assets. He also highlighted demographic pressure, with the number of declared employees rising by about 3.6% in 2025 while the number of retirees increased by 8%.

The latest CNSS figures also show the rapid expansion of Morocco’s health insurance system. The number of people eligible for AMO reached 25.08 million in 2025, up 3% from 2024, while total benefits paid across AMO schemes reached MAD 22.65 billion ($2.27 billion), an annual increase of 17%.

The challenge now is to expand coverage while ensuring that the schemes can generate enough contributions to meet rising healthcare costs.