37 detained in Shenyang health insurance fraud investigation

Thirty-seven people have been detained in Northeast China's Liaoning province, as an investigation into health insurance fraud accusations is underway, Shenyang Daily reported on its website on Tuesday.

Jihua Hospital and Shenyang Friendship Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Kidney Diseases, based in Shenyang city's Yuhong district and Dadong district, respectively, forged records to make fraudulent insurance claims, according to a report broadcast by China Central Television last week.

The hospitals have been required to suspend business pending further investigation.

Chen Qiufa, Liaoning's Party chief, and Tang Yijun, governor of the province, urged the local government to strictly investigate the cases, the Tuesday report read.

Unlawful practices by the hospitals that local police said they discovered include providing fake records for patients so the government would pay more of their treatment costs.

This has been happening since 2017, according to the police.

The city's commission for discipline inspection has launched an investigation into the government's health insurance center to audit its hospital supervision.