The experience of many European countries is that the potential for lost resources is too great to ignore. Many countries have seen a vast return on their investment in countering healthcare fraud and corruption.
There are many different kinds of fraud and corruption across Europe but methods of detecting and preventing fraud and corruption also have many similarities, as does the important work of creating an anti-fraud culture in society.
Real, tangible benefits for European healthcare systems can be gained through the implementation of effective mechanisms to reduce losses to healthcare fraud and corruption.
Through promotion of opportunities, joint working, sharing of good practice and development of common working standards, European healthcare systems can be improved by reducing losses to fraud and corruption, which in turn will produce savings and social benefits through more cost effective delivery of patient care.
EHFCN's aim is to promote the following initiatives:
- The creation of a real ANTI-FRAUD and ANTI-CORRUPTION culture within healthcare systems among service providers, healthcare suppliers, healthcare payers, healthcare users and ultimately among all EU citizens;
- To use all possible presentational and publicity opportunities to act as a DETERRENT to those who are minded to engage in healthcare fraud or corruption;
- The use of effective PREVENTION systems so that when fraudulent or corrupt activities are attempted, they will fail;
- The use of DETECTION systems that will promptly identify occurrences of healthcare fraud and corruption;
- The professional INVESTIGATION of all cases of detected or alleged healthcare fraud and corruption;
- The imposition, where healthcare fraud and corruption is proven, of appropriate SANCTIONS – namely civil, criminal and/or disciplinary processes. Multiple sanctions should be used where possible;
- The seeking of financial REDRESS in respect of resources lost to fraud and corruption and the return of recovered resources to the area of patient care or services for which they were intended;
- The development of a European common standard of RISK MEASUREMENT (baseline figures), with annual statistically valid follow up exercises to measure progress in reducing losses to fraud and corruption throughout the EU.