Created in 1996, the Regional Unions of Health Insurance Funds (Unions régionales des caisses d'assurance maladie / URCAM) are regional structures which put together the three main health insurance schemes - the general one, the agricultural one and the social scheme for independent professionals - with a common aim : risk management at a regional level.
Their roles are the following ones:
- Defining a common risk management policy, particularly in the area of healthcare expenditure in towns, and overseeing its implementation.
- Promoting and assessing healthcare coordination and the implementation of good practices by healthcare professionals, negotiating and signing the various agreements provided for in this respect.
- Coordinating prevention and sanitary education measures of health insurance funds, agriculatural scheme funds, and non salaried and non-farm based worker-social scheme, and overseeing their implementation.
URCAMs also lead studies concerning healthcare organisation in partnership with Independent doctor regional Unions (URML) and work with the Regional Hospitalisation Agencies (Agences régionales d'hospitalisation / ARH).
