Klekovski: Three FZO employees and two private hospital staff implicated in alleged Fund misuse
A police operation on October 29, 2026 targets alleged double-billing where patients were charged for services already paid by the Health Insurance Fund, the health minister said.
Police actions carried out on the morning of October 29, 2026 have identified three employees of the Health Insurance Fund (FZO) and two staff members of a contracted private hospital as implicated in an alleged misuse of Fund resources, Health Minister Sasho Klekovski said. Authorities say one of the most widespread irregularities was double billing — services reimbursed by the Fund were additionally charged to patients.
Investigation built over more than a year
Klekovski said the police operation was the result of a months-long operation based on an investigation that exceeded one year. The case includes several types of offences and, according to the minister, involves both the Fund and a private provider that had an active contract with the Fund.
"The operation involves a private health institution that had a contract with the Health Insurance Fund and several people from the Fund. This concerns misuse of funds from the Health Insurance Fund. I hope the Ministry of Interior will soon release more details. I can only confirm the operation, confirm the cooperation and express great gratitude for the persistence and determination of the employees of the Ministry of Interior and of the Public Prosecutor's Office, that finally one of the situations we have worked on over the past two years is reaching a certain conclusion, at least in that there will be criminal charges and court proceedings," Klekovski said.
According to the minister, the scheme included repeated instances in which patients were billed for services that had already been paid for by the Fund under existing agreements. Investigators are examining whether staff from the Fund and the private hospital coordinated to present services under different pretexts so that patients would pay in addition to the Fund reimbursements.
"I proposed to the Misdemeanor Commission, and it agreed to terminate the contract with that health institution to break the chain of impunity. At the same time I requested that an investigation be opened. The Ministry of Interior together with the Fund's Control Sector worked hard to complete all matters. The State Sanitary and Health Inspectorate and the Agency for Medicines and other institutions were also involved, so that the investigation could be closed from all aspects. And I again thank the persistence of the employees of the Ministry of Interior for the completed work," Klekovski added, while answering reporters ahead of an event marking World Stroke Day.
Klekovski said he had initiated the probe while he served as director of the Fund, noting the private provider had a history of repeat violations over several years. He said he had urged internal bodies to cancel the contract and to trigger official inquiries; the current police operation and forthcoming criminal charges follow that work.
Photo: press material from the event
