Luxembourg's CNS publishes list of thirteen fake doctors in fraud crackdown
Luxembourg's national health insurer has published a list of thirteen fake doctors issuing false work-incapacity certificates and forged prescriptions, as courts hand down convictions for medical fraud.
Luxembourg's CNS publishes list of thirteen fake doctors in fraud crackdown
Luxembourg's national health insurance authority has taken the exceptional step of publishing a list of thirteen people posing as doctors, warning that these fraudsters are circulating false medical documents throughout the country.
The Caisse Nationale de Santé (CNS) published these names on its website after identifying them as unknown practitioners offering illegal services, according to the Luxembourg Times. The fraudulent activities focus mainly on the issuance of counterfeit work-incapacity certificates, prescriptions and fee statements.
Courts have already handed down several convictions in recent months for such offences. Penalties include substantial fines as well as prison sentences with and without suspension. For presenting a false work-incapacity certificate, offenders face a standard fine of 200 euros if the claimed absence covers three days or fewer. The penalty increases to 500 euros for longer periods and reaches 750 euros in case of reoffending.
The CNS clarified that any sick leave obtained without a genuine medical consultation or issued under irregular conditions will be systematically refused. When a falsified document is detected, the employee receives no compensation, their employer is notified, and the matter may be forwarded to the competent authorities for legal prosecution.
Investigations revealed that some of the names flagged by the Luxembourg insurer had already triggered alerts abroad. The medical board of Bremen in Germany had previously warned against several of these same fake healthcare professionals, noting that their forged sick-leave certificates had appeared throughout the country at various addresses in cities including Cologne, Hamburg, Leipzig and Dresden.
The CNS stated that its verification efforts aim to protect the integrity of the healthcare system, stem abuse and ensure that resources reach patients with legitimate needs.
Source: Luxembourg Times