ITIC MEA 2025 | Medical case management in MEA

The ITIJ team are reporting live from ITIC MEA 2025 in Marrakech. Read all the reports here

Dr Salma Soussi, Head of Medical Tourism Department, CIM Santé

Dr Soussi began by highlighting the regional cost pressures affecting hospitals, which include medical inflation, due to increasing technology, medication and human resource costs. Currency volatility and an interrupted supply chain due to geopolitical instability in the wider world are also driving cost increases for medical providers. In Morocco specifically, there are no fiscal incentives like tax relief to encourage investment and development.

“Operational costs are on the rise,” she told the ITIC audience, adding that this was driven in part by the need for investment in medical technology and improving infrastructure, which is also pushing costs higher for providers – although conversely, investment in technology will reduce costs in the long run. “Despite all these pressures, Moroccan healthcare remains more affordable than many other parts of the world,” said Dr Soussi.

So, hospitals must make cost efficiencies where possible – measures taken by CIM Santé include no payer-specific pricing – “your passport does not define what you pay” – having a centralised procurement system, and single protocols. “We must focus on outcomes, not volumes,” she said. “Diagnose quickly and treat fast – that is the most efficient way to reduce costs.”

Hospitals and clinics providing care to international patients – whether insured or not – need to focus on transparent, cost-effective care, with no hidden or inflated costs. “Think about long-term partnerships, not one-off gains,” she urged the audience, adding “we must speak fluent insurance!”

Looking specifically at the management of international patients, Dr Soussi explained that in order to meet the needs of these patients, healthcare providers should consider the following:

• Having a multilingual international desk
• Ensuring seamless insurer coordination
• Offering support to the patient before they arrive, and post-discharge
• Place an emphasis on empathy and transparency throughout the patient experience.

All of the above is essential to the ongoing emergence of Morocco as a potential local hub for medical expertise and medical tourists. Dr Soussi concluded by announcing that CIM is opening a new medical tourism department.

Bilge Bora, Chief Executive Officer, Marm Assistance

Bora’s presentation began by highlighting the variations in cost and quality of healthcare provision in various Middle Eastern nations – the two are not always equal. “Treatment quality is not the same in every country,” she said, “and costs are much higher in rich countries.” Attendees were warned that in certain locations, medical reports and documents are unclear or incomplete, and communication after treatment is sometimes slow or missing, and in some cases government hospitals might not be very cooperative. For the international travel and health insurance sector, cultural differences compared with Western culture can make the process of providing medical assistance services more challenging.

When price does not equal the value of services rendered, it presents in several ways for insurers, including that hospital admissions may proceed despite limited clinical justification; international patients are frequently subject to differentiated pricing structures; broad diagnostic panels are occasionally applied beyond medically indicated scope; and intensive care units can be utilised for clinically stable cases, substantially increasing overall costs.

Bora’s presentation showed that although geographically close, there are vast differences between MEA countries, highlighting specific differences between healthcare infrastructure and costs in the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. “There is currently no unified regional framework guiding international patient care practices,” she told attendees.

In order to effectively manage medical cases and costs for insurers, Bora said that for any medical assistance company working in MEA, collaboration is key – with ongoing case-by-case reviews, focusing on medical necessity. There should be, she added, integrated methodology combined with on-site provider engagement. “We are not doing cost containment,” said Bora. “We are trying to prevent the costs from escalating in the first place.”

Regional success depends on strong local insight and disciplined operational execution, she concluded, and a strong provider network helps assistance companies and their insurer partners solve cases faster, reduce claim complexity, and support better care results.