Data released by the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) showed that false and unfair insurance claims by medical providers will cost the South Korean government about KRW600 billion (US$503 million) this year.
The rising false health insurance claims continue to rise even as the government has already launched a crackdown on scammers.
According to latest data, medical providers’ false and unfair insurance claims reached KRW545 billion from January to November of this year, from W594 billion in the same period last year.
The amount for all of 2016 is expected to reach nearly KRW600 billion, at the current pace, the NHIS said.
The amount, however, is just based insurance fraud activities that were detected.
Experts said a large number of fraudulent and unfair health insurance claims remain undetected, with scams including phantom treatments, double billing and unneeded care.
In 2013, the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs showed that false and improper health insurance claims cost the government health insurer some KRW1.04 trillion. – BusinessNewsAsia.com