Three Health Insurance Fund employees and two private hospital staff probed over double charging, says Sasho Klekovski
Ministry of Interior operation follows a year‑long probe into alleged double charging of patients for services contracted with the Health Insurance Fund.
The Ministry of Interior has launched an operation targeting alleged misuse of funds involving three employees of the Health Insurance Fund and two staff members of a private hospital, Health Minister Sasho Klekovski said today.
Allegation: double billing of insured patients
Klekovski said investigators are looking into several types of offenses, the most widespread being double charging: services contracted and paid for by the Health Insurance Fund were allegedly billed again to patients under different pretexts.
The police operation carried out this morning stems from a months‑long action based on an investigation that lasted more than a year, the minister added.
"The action involves a private health institution that had a contract with the Health Insurance Fund and several people from the Fund. This is a misuse of funds from the Health Insurance Fund. I hope the Ministry of Interior will soon come out with more details. I can only confirm the action, confirm the cooperation and express great gratitude for the persistence and perseverance of the employees of the Ministry of Interior and the Public Prosecutor's Office, that finally one of the situations we have been working on over the past two years is reaching a certain conclusion, at least insofar as there will be criminal charges and a court procedure," Klekovski said at an event dedicated to the activities of the Clinic of Neurology.
Klekovski also said that, while he was director of the Health Insurance Fund, he initiated the probe because the private institution had repeated violations over several years rather than isolated incidents. "I proposed to the Misdemeanor Commission, and it agreed to terminate the contract with that health institution in order to break the chain of impunity. At the same time I requested an investigation. The Ministry of Interior together with the Control Sector of the Health Insurance Fund worked hard to finish 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," the minister added.
Klekovski said he hopes the Ministry of Interior will release further details soon; prosecutors are expected to bring criminal charges and court proceedings may follow.
Photo: Ministerstvo za zdravstvo)
