“MOHW neglected 10000 practices by 56 suspended doctors”

BAI unveils audit report and orders for appropriate follow-up measures

Tens of suspended doctors claimed and received back 800 million won

Sources report tens of doctors, Korean medicine doctors and dentists with suspended licenses have practiced over 11,000 medical services and claimed over 800 million won of insurance reimbursement.

 

The Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea (BAI) notified the details the health authority and ordered to take a corrective action on its negligence on obligated monitoring of suspended healthcare providers.

 

On Oct.

 

31, BAI officially disclosed a Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) management audit report on containing the details.

 

The audit was conducted on the ministry’s inappropriate internal and external practices.

 

The audit report on the ministry’s management negligence over healthcare providers with license suspended from illegal practice found 56 doctors, dentists and Korean medicine doctors have practiced 11,102 cases of medical service.

 

Moreover, the doctors received 808,358,420 won of National Health Insurance (NHI) reimbursement claimed from HIRA, during their suspended license period.

 

Field inspection on two doctors and a Korean medicine doctor randomly selected by MOHW from the 56 suspended doctors, confirmed their medical practices.

 

The Korean medicine doctor, for example, practiced total 1,469 cases of medical service from last Jan.

 

1 to Mar.

 

6, such as acupuncture on outpatient with spinal pain.

 

The doctor claimed and received 38,510,110 won of NHI reimbursement.

 

BAI estimates two other doctors have practiced medical service on outpatient and inpatient during their suspension period and received back 176,649,200 won and 3,816,360 won, respectively, for NHI reimbursement.

 

And BAI pointed out MOHW was completely unaware of the situation and did not revoke their licenses.

 

Regarding the issue, MOHW accepted BAI’s audit result and suggested it would establish a system to inspect medical service practiced by suspended healthcare providers by cooperating with related government agencies, and also impose appropriate penalty to 56 doctors, who have been paid with NHI reimbursement, after a thorough inspection on any medical service practiced during their suspension period.

 

BAI ordered Minister of Health and Welfare to take appropriate action on the 56 healthcare providers, such as field inspection, and establish a system to monitor and inspect healthcare providers’ practice during their license suspension period.