A gynaecologist from West Limburg has been sentenced to one year in prison and fined €8,000 by the Hasselt Criminal Court for Social Law for committing social fraud.
The woman, who did not appear in court, submitted fictitious medical claims exceeding €4,000 to Christian, Socialist, and Liberal health insurance funds. The offences occurred between late February 2022 and 1 March 2023. She was declared bankrupt in 2020, and the court found the 68-year-old guilty of social law fraud and falsifying information systems.
She fabricated services for seven patients, claiming non-existent telephone consultations. These fictional services were billed to the patients’ various mutual insurance funds to receive payments unlawfully, amounting to a total of €4,054.
The court’s verdict was based on an investigation by the Federal Judicial Police of Limburg and the testimonies of the involved patients. It deemed charging for fictitious medical services particularly reprehensible.
The court stated that such practices harm society and undermine the trust patients and society have in doctors. They reflect significant greed and a lack of respect for healthcare funding. Considering her prior criminal record, as the woman had been convicted before, the Liberal Mutualities’ National Alliance was awarded €435 in compensation as a civil claimant.
