Who pays for healthcare fraud? We all do!

Background

Every year, money is lost to fraud and corruption in the healthcare sector. Although healthcare systems are different throughout the European Union, fraud and corruption in healthcare occur in all member states and know no boundaries. They result from the activities of a minority of dishonest healthcare providers, patients, suppliers and other people somehow involved in healthcare.

The money lost could be better used for other purposes, such as improving healthcare systems, infrastructure, education and other health services. Losses to fraud and corruption in the healthcare sector affect patients, healthcare providers, decision makers and ultimately every single citizen.

Healthcare fraud affects everyone

Everyone has a right to basic healthcare, yet money is lost every year to fraud and corruption instead of providing each person with basic healthcare. Money lost to healthcare fraud deprives hospitals and patients of valuable equipment, staff and resources. For example it has been estimated that money lost to healthcare fraud in the European Union in one year would be equivalent to the salary of 2.5 million nurses in a year, to founding 3,500 clinics or to providing 1.7 million new incubators in a year.

Who pays the price?

We all end up paying the price for healthcare fraud and corruption. As resources are drained from health budgets, less funding is available to pay salaries and fund healthcare services and equipment. This in turn leads to de-motivated healthcare staff and lower quality of care, and a reduced availability of services, treatments and care to the detriment of every patient.

In the end, we all pay the price of healthcare fraud

-          by paying more taxes,

-          by paying higher insurance premiums,

-          by paying for higher costs of medical services, medicines and equipment,

But most importantly, our healthcare is at stake!

EHFCN wants to mobilize the honest majority of healthcare professionals, patients, providers and other people who work in healthcare to prevent the fraudulent or corrupt minority from diverting further funds. Unfortunately, that minority exists in all European countries, and every cent lost drains the lifeblood from our healthcare systems and undermines their capacity to provide essential treatment.

The International Fraud Prevention Month

The initiative, which is run by the international Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network, is also run by our counterpart in Canada, the Canadian Health Care Anti-fraud Association (CHCAA). EHFCN's campaign ties in with the International Fraud Prevention Month. The message we want to send out with our awareness campaign is that we all pay the price of healthcare fraud. The aim of the campaign is to alert, inform or remind people that we all bear the consequences of healthcare fraud and corruption. EHFCN calls on its member organisations and all stakeholders to join in the fight against healthcare fraud and corruption in order to insure that every citizen has access to appropriate care.