Hsinchu Dental Clinic Staff Indicted in NT$8.75 Million Insurance Fraud Case

(CNA, Reporter Kuo Hsuan-wen, Hsinchu County, 18th) A dental clinic in Hsinchu allegedly hired a man surnamed Yen, who lacked a dentist's license, to treat patients, and then falsely logged medical records to claim National Health Insurance (NHI) benefits. The scheme is suspected of defrauding the NHI and collecting medical fees totaling approximately NT$8.75 million. The Hsinchu District Prosecutors Office today indicted five individuals for illegal medical practice and other charges. According to a press release from the Taiwan Hsinchu District Prosecutors Office, a man surnamed Hsu was the clinic's actual person in charge, and a man surnamed Chao was the director and attending physician. They hired the unlicensed man, Yen, while women surnamed Chang and Fan served as a clinic assistant and manager, respectively. Prosecutors stated that from October 1, 2023, to December 31, 2024, the clinic employed Yen, who treated 2,087 patients without specific guidance from a licensed physician. Clinic staff then falsely recorded these treatments as being performed by Director Chao or other licensed dentists at the clinic. Prosecutors said the clinic uploaded this false information to the National Health Insurance Administration, fraudulently claiming 3,235,212 points in medical expenses, equivalent to about NT$3,308,323. Additionally, they collected NT$68,300 in registration fees and NT$5,380,100 in self-paid treatment fees from patients. Prosecutors stated that these actions misled the NHI Administration and patients into believing that the treatments were performed by qualified dentists, thereby compromising the accuracy of the NHI reimbursement review process and infringing upon patients' rights to receive legal medical care. The five individuals were indicted on charges including illegal medical practice and fraud committed by a group of three or more people. (Editor: Li Ming-tsung)