SUVA catches over 300.000 false health insurance claims in Switzerland

The Swiss National Accident Insurance Fund (SUVA) has stopped over 300.000 unjustified claims for health insurance, saving insurance payers 80 million Swiss francs in 2020. 

SUVA prevents health insurance fraud in Switzerland

SUVA is the organisation that manages health insurance in the workplace through accident and occupational diseases insurance, as well as monitoring false claims for other health insurance providers. The public body said in a statement that they had identified over 300.000 unjustified claims for medical treatment, work-related or not, during 2020. This accounted for 12 percent of all claims made during the year.

The fund blamed the majority of false claims on inaccurate and duplicate invoices for treatment at hospital, but said there were still some “black sheep” among the mistakes. SUVA also prevented up to 12,6 million Swiss francs' worth of fraud last year from doctors who had charged fictitious hours or services.

Catching false claims keeps insurance premiums low

Established in 1918, SUVA was one of the first forms of Swiss social security, guaranteeing people working in Switzerland would be compensated should they suffer an accident. Between 1918 and 2021, SUVA estimate that they have randomly analysed more than 2 million claims each year.

The latest discovery of fraud saved insurance companies around 80 million Swiss francs, theoretically leading to cheaper premiums for basic and supplemental health insurance. SUVA concluded that although most claims were truthful and correct, “through consistent monitoring of unjustified claims, we will be able to keep insurance premiums in Switzerland within a moderate range.”