Crackdown aims at medical institutions that defraud national insurance fund

Medical institutions will be scrutinized this year for fraudulent practices involving the medical insurance fund, as special campaigns will be launched across China.

Insurance scams will be the focus of a yearlong campaign against illegal medical practices and irregularities that was launched in March by eight central government departments, including the National Health Commission, National Medical Products Administration and State Administration for Market Regulation.

Enforcement officers will look into hospital practices such as deceiving or luring patients to spend money on unnecessary treatments, using social security cards without the knowledge of their holders and charging for nonexistent services to get money from the medical insurance fund, according to a statement from the National Health Commission.