The social security office for military personnel (Caisse Nationale Militaire de Sécurité Sociale (CNMSS)) was created in 1949 to provide medical and maternity cover for serving and retired military personnel and their families by ensuring that they were not required to make any administrative arrangements during the numerous reassignments that commonly occur in their profession. The scheme is identical to that which applies to the rest of the population in so far as the legally available provisions for medical and maternity cover are concerned, but it qualifies as special because its organisation is independent from that of the general scheme. It is this that enables it to best respond to the needs of its beneficiaries while retaining a military outlook as the guiding principle for its development. This is evidenced in its desire to deal swiftly and professionally with the processing of individual cases wherever the serviceman/woman may be stationed, and to offer medical and social services on an individual basis (cover for expenditure not reimbursed under the official scheme) or collectively (availability of in-patient treatment in specialised hospital facilities); it also permits the development of a preventive policy adapted to the individual’s needs. The other ongoing preoccupation of the CNMSS is modernisation across all fields to optimise effectiveness, thereby ensuring continued favourable comparison with other social security schemes.

The aim of the CNMSS is to provide the best possible service at minimum cost. Its entire strategy follows on from this: integral part of the defence structure, synergy with state health insurance (assurance maladie), quality of service provided and cost-effectiveness.

A Pivotal Role

The day-to-day activity of the CNMSS involves operating within two structures: that of defence, to serve the military for whom it was set up, and that of the national assurance maladie, as this is the service it provides for the military.