Kathmandu. China’s National Health Commission has launched an investigation into suspected medical insurance fraud at several psychiatric hospitals in central China’s Hubei province.
The commission said it had started monitoring and investigating mental health hospitals in the cities of Xianyang and Yichang. China Daily quoted the commission as saying that the hospitals admitted patients without mental illness but reported as mentally ill, defrauded medical insurance funds and violated patients’ rights. ’
An authorized team will monitor and guide the local authorities in the investigation and handling of violations in accordance with laws and regulations. The commission also urged health authorities across the country to strengthen supervision of psychiatric hospitals and related departments at all levels, standardise medical services and effectively protect patients’ rights and public health.
China’s National Health Service Security Administration has said all designated mental health institutions should strengthen management and eliminate illegal or non-compliant use of insurance funds. According to the administration, provincial departments should use the results of recent media-reported problems and other inspections at mental health institutions in Hubei province as examples to inform institutions.
Some media reports have also stated that the number of patients, including hospital staff, nursing staff and security guards without a mental history, is often labelled as ‘mentally ill’. In a bid to circumvent rules limiting hospitalizations, a provincial hospital has repeatedly conducted “fake discharges” to readmit the same patients only after a short period of time. –Agency
