Federal auditors slam lack of control over Covid test invoices
Not every invoice sent to health insurers was backed by a valid coronavirus test.
Keystone / Salvatore Di Nolfi
The Federal Audit Office has found gaps in controls of a free coronavirus testing system that contributed to an estimated CHF20 million ($21.5 million) in fraudulent invoicing.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/mga
Some 23 million free PCR and antigen tests have been carried out in Switzerland since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020.
But it is widely believed that the system was scammed by fraudsters who worked with some doctors and testing centres to send out batches of fake bills to health insurers.
On Thursday, auditors said they had found two main weaknesses with the free testing system that helped fraud go undetected.
Firstly, health insurers did not send statements to all people who were tested, which made it harder to tell real tests from fakes.
Secondly, invoice reference numbers did not indicate which canton particular tests had been carried out. This makes it more difficult to trace the relevant testing centre.
Investigators have a five-year window to track down fraudsters and have so far only recovered CHF6,000, Swiss public broadcaster SRF reports.
The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) has identified 30 possible cases of serious fraud. Some 15 FOPH staff are trying to recover funds along with external consultants.
Swiss-EU negotiations: Cassis to meet Sefcovic in Bern
This content was published on
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis will meet the Vice-President of the EU Commission, Maros Sefcovic, in Bern on Wednesday.
Heavy snowfall in Switzerland causes traffic chaos and accidents
This content was published on
The heavy snowfall late on Thursday and during the night into Friday led to traffic chaos and many accidents in many regions of Switzerland.
Chimpanzee behaviours passed down through generations
This content was published on
Some of the complex behaviours of chimpanzees have been passed down and refined over generations. These include the combination of several tools for foraging.
More than 600,000 rounds of Swiss sniper ammunition reach Ukraine
This content was published on
Sniper ammunition from Swiss P Defence reached Ukraine via a Polish company in July 2023, reported SRF Investigativ on Thursday, citing official information.
Switzerland launches national digital inclusion alliance
This content was published on
The Swiss government launched the Swiss Digital Inclusion Alliance on Thursday with the goal of giving as many people as possible access to digital services.
Swiss court recognises obesity as a disability under certain conditions
This content was published on
People suffering from obesity are now entitled to social benefits under certain conditions, following a ruling by the Federal Court.
Environment minister outlines Swiss efforts to limit global warming
This content was published on
Switzerland will do its part to achieve the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celcius, said Environment Minister Albert Rösti, who's attending COP29 in Baku.
This content was published on
Switzerland remains by a large margin the European champion of train travel, both in terms of the number of journeys per person and the number of kilometres travelled. Switzerland remains by a large margin the European champion of train travel, both in terms of the number of journeys per person and the number of kilometres travelled. Switzerland remains by a large margin the European champion of train travel, both in terms of the number of journeys per person and the number of kilometres travelled.
This content was published on
Almost a month after the start of the campaign for the second booster vaccination only 6% of the population have made use of the offer.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.