Thirty-eight cases of suspected health insurance fraud have been uncovered by The Health Authority – Abu Dhabi (HAAD).
The regulator for the healthcare sector in the UAE capital said the cases had been exposed during the latest round of inspections by the audit section of the Health Insurance Regulation Department at HAAD.
HAAD said a number of the cases had been referred to prosecutors while 18 fines were issued.
HAAD issued fines ranging from AED10,000 to AED20,000 per violation to clinics, pharmacies, and medical professionals, news agency WAM reported.
Violations included claiming for medical services not provided to patients, replacement of prescription medications with non prescribed drugs, medical and non medical consumables, and non medical items.
A further violation included employers and/or sponsors not providing continuous health insurance coverage to their sponsored employees.
HAAD said one doctor had been fined AED10,000 by the misdemeanours court in Abu Dhabi for defrauding a patient over treatments and forging documents.
The court also sentenced two defendants for a period of two months imprisonment followed by deportation from the country for the issuance of forged health insurance cards.
Two companies were fined AED90,000 and AED70,000 by HAAD for offences including underwriting health insurance policies which cover less medical services than is mandatory under the policies, non-compliance with health insurance policies.
Zaid Al Siksek, CEO of HAAD, said: “Access to high quality health services is the right of every resident in Abu Dhabi. Inspection visits are conducted to ensure the commitment of all concerned parties to health insurance law, and that companies and individuals are protected from fraudulent and abusive behaviour.”
