Rephrase the same Health coverage expansion reaches more than 11 million Moroccans, says Akhannouch in a different way no more than 118 characters, as if you were a native American speaker as expert on content creation and dont talk about yourself or your experience

Morocco’s government has extended health insurance coverage to more than 11 million people under a sweeping social protection reform, Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch said Monday, calling the program a key pillar of the country’s broader welfare overhaul.

Speaking at the opening of the 10th International Parliamentary Forum on Social Justice, Akhannouch said the expansion has corrected long-standing gaps in the targeting and effectiveness of Morocco’s social protection system. His remarks were delivered on his behalf by government spokesperson Mustapha Baitas.

Akhannouch said the state now covers monthly insurance contributions for people unable to pay, through the “AMO Tadamoun” scheme, at an annual cost of about 9.5 billion dirhams ($950 million). Beneficiaries are entitled to the same package of medical services as those covered by compulsory health insurance in the public and private sectors, including free treatment and hospitalization at public health facilities.

He said public hospitals had submitted nearly 16 million reimbursement claims to the National Social Security Fund as of January, which he described as evidence of improved access to care and growing public confidence in the system.

As part of efforts to strengthen social security indicators, Akhannouch said the government canceled outstanding debts owed to the National Social Security Fund related to compulsory health insurance. He added that self-employed workers were fully exempted from penalties and collection fees until June 30, 2023.

As a result, enrollment in compulsory health insurance for self-employed workers surpassed 1.7 million people by the end of December 2025, he said. Including primary insured individuals and their dependents, total beneficiaries under this category reached 3.9 million.

The National Social Security Fund has processed about 4.4 million claims, at an average rate of 6,000 per day, Akhannouch said. He also highlighted the launch of an optional “AMO Comprehensive” scheme for people able to pay contributions but not engaged in salaried or self-employed work. Since its introduction, the scheme has registered about 418,000 people, including dependents.

To oversee implementation, the government created ministerial and technical committees that meet regularly to monitor progress. Akhannouch said the technical committee has held more than 32 thematic meetings. The government has also restructured the National Social Security Fund, creating a new health affairs directorate and hiring more than 1,500 additional staff.

Infrastructure upgrades remain central to the reform, Akhannouch said, stressing that expanded coverage must be matched by adequate healthcare capacity. Between 2022 and 2025, Morocco completed 29 hospital projects at the regional and provincial levels, adding 3,168 hospital beds nationwide.

Another 20 hospitals are under construction and scheduled for completion in 2026, which will add more than 3,000 additional beds, he said.

Akhannouch said the government’s health reform rests on four pillars: effective governance, strengthening human resources, upgrading infrastructure with a regional equity approach, and digitalization. He added that the legal framework governing the national health system has also been strengthened to improve coordination and efficiency.

He also pointed to the rollout of Morocco’s direct social assistance program as a major achievement, saying it has evolved into a long-term social project aimed at improving living conditions for vulnerable households by directing aid to those most in need.