Fraud cases by healthcare providers in Belgium have doubled in a year, as have the overall amount of cases, reports L'Echo on Tuesday, based on figures from the National Institute for Sickness and Disability Insurance (NIHDI).
Between 2021 and 2022, the number of fraud cases closed by the NIHDI rose from 43 to 81, and the amount of these frauds more than doubled, from €3.1 million to €6.7 million.
"We confirm that there is a clear increase in the number of frauds committed by healthcare providers and that they are more diversified," the NIHDI stated.
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Among the leading forms of fraud are crimes committed through the third-party payer system, where the patient pays nothing – or next to nothing – as the provider is reimbursed directly by the NIHDI.
While the system has advantages, it prevents the patient from exercising control over the care declared by the service provider.
