Medical leave fraud would cost US$240 million annually despite 22% decline
Medical leave in Chile dropped by 22% between January and May 2026, but fraud in the system continues to generate estimated losses of US$240 million annually.
Medical leave falls in Chile, but fraud persists at US$240 million annually
According to elmartutino.cl, the issuance of medical leave of common origin declined by 22% in Chile during the first five months of 2026. Between January and May, 2,401,432 medical leave certificates were recorded, that is, 688,000 fewer than in the same period of 2025. In May alone, 550,992 medical leave certificates were counted, 23% fewer than in the same month of the previous year, according to figures from the Superintendence of Social Security (Suseso).
Suseso projects that during all of 2026, between 5.8 and 6.5 million medical leave certificates will be issued. The organisation estimates that this reduction could generate savings of between 258,503 million and 548,251 million pesos in work incapacity subsidies.
The decline coincides with recent court rulings on medical leave fraud, including a case involving doctors accused of defrauding Fonasa.
However, the organisation ALTO Inmune warned that the problem is far from resolved. According to the entity, the annual spending associated with irregular medical leave exceeds US$800 million, and approximately 30% of the total spending on this benefit would correspond to fraudulent cases, which equals roughly US$240 million per year.
ALTO Inmune maintains that the observed decrease is partly due to increased auditing and the deterrent effect of legal proceedings. Nevertheless, the organisation warns that the projected savings can only be sustained if audits are strengthened, technological tools are incorporated, and new forms of fraud are pursued.
The entity also called for strengthening public education on the economic impact of fraudulent medical leave and for maintaining coordination between the public and private systems to protect resources destined for those who genuinely require the benefit.
Source: Google News CL — Crime