Nara hospital staffers arrested over alleged medical fee fraud

Thursday 02nd July, 04:09 AM JST

NARA —

Police arrested two senior officials of a hospital in Nara Prefecture on Wednesday on suspicion of defrauding the state of medical treatment fees for patients who are on welfare. Fumio Yamamoto, 51, director of Yamamoto Hospital in Yamatokoriyama in Nara, and Ryutaro Osugi, a 57-year-old chief clerk at the hospital, were arrested for allegedly making false claims that the hospital performed heart operations in December 2005 and January 2007 on two male patients on welfare whose medical fees are entirely covered by public funds. The combined false claims amounted to about 1.7 million yen. Yamamoto has admitted to making the claims, police sources said. Investigators said they suspect the hospital has cheated the government out of more than 10 million yen in dubious medical practices.

Police raided the Nara hospital and Yamamoto’s home on June 21 and found out later that the institution had filed bogus claims of operations. Yamamoto Hospital has allegedly conducted unnecessary medical checks and operations on patients on welfare over about 10 years, according to hospital sources.

Kyodo

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6 Comments

some14some at 06:44 AM JST - 2nd July

Fraud amount likely to go up by few zeros and final result? Big Zero ! painless suspended sentence, case closed.
bushlover at 11:27 AM JST - 2nd July

no word yet until you.
IchyaWarFare at 02:13 PM JST - 2nd July

No word yet on the foreign influence on this case?

You need foreign influence for greed?
Disillusioned at 02:17 PM JST - 2nd July

OK! Medical fee fraud, food mislabeling, millions of missing pensions, NOVA, construction kick backs just to name a few recent events, Yet, Japanese culture prides itself on the honor of its society? There is no honor among thieves!
farhaan at 03:03 PM JST - 2nd July

Since I came to Japan 8 years back I am always screaming that hospitals/medical institutions in Japan cheating both public and governement. And I know all doctors and dentists are doing this in Japan. For instance, for regular cold or fever they will never treat you in a single visit but make you visit more than 3 times. Japanese * KENKO HOKEN* medical insurance system is one of the biggest scandal.
kirakira25 at 04:01 PM JST - 2nd July

i am just surprised only one hospital has been caught out with this - it seems to me they are all at it.