Doctors for hire?
Photo: Getty Image bank Israel
Doctors suspected of defrauding Insurance Institute for millions of shekels
Israel Police arrest 15 suspects for allegedly cheating insurance companies by inventing car accidents, with doctors serving as 'rubber stamp'
Israel Police National Economic Crimes Unit investigators Tuesday morning arrested 15 people —about half of whom are doctors — suspected of being involved in an insurance-fraud scheme.
Police have accused the 15 of inventing car accidents to defraud the National Insurance Institute of Israel (NII) and insurance companies of estimated millions of shekels.
In an operation dubbed "White Robe", conducted with the assistance of the NII and Avner insurance, a large scam was discovered whereby suspects used counterfit car accidents to receive money from the NII and insurance companies for damages and surgeries. Among those arrested are an assistant district psychiatrist, an orthopedic surgeon, and a radiologist.Evidence collected by the police points to a "well-oiled" machine operated by several suspects, two of whom assisted the "claimants" by guiding them through the process of faking accidents, acquiring falsified doctors' forms, accompanying them until receiving money from the NII and insurance companies, and finally splitting this sum.
Former IDF man distributed counterfeit approvals
The investigation began after suspicions were raised in the NII regarding a few workers' compensation claims. The main suspect is a former career military man who was court-martialed for giving out counterfeited physician approvals while in the army. According to Police, the suspect is connected to certain doctors he bribed whose names appear in most of the falsified claims.
At the same time, officials in the Avner car insurance company became suspicious after discovering a common pattern in dozens of claims. Upon examining the evidence, police found a direct connection to the principal suspects.
Police established a special investigative team for the investigation, headed by Superintendent Shlomi Chahmon. "This is a complex, multi-level investigation which led us to uncover the smooth, sophisticated manner in which the suspects defrauded (the companies)," Israel Police said in a statement released Tuesday.
Investigators were amazed to discover with what ease senior doctors provided a rubber stamp for the two suspects by issuing fake reports in exchange for money.
Police plan to bring the suspects before the Ramle Magistrates Court Tuesday afternoon for a hearing on extending their remand, given the suspicions of fraud, breach of trust, bribery, and forgery.
