[Billing fraud from the viewpoint of the state attorney]

The so-called settlement fraud includes not only charging for unrealized services but also the charging of realized services that must not be charged as well as intended uneconomical behavior. Victim of this kind of fraud is either the privately paying patient or the society of panel doctors and, thus, every correctly charging physician when legal health insurances are involved. The perpetrator may be fined or imprisoned. Other punishments may include professional ban, revocation of the license, and compensation. Weak spots of the system encourage fraud. Without effective control mechanisms and self-administration, more and more physicians do not meet the confidence and the special responsibility necessary for the settlement system of our health insurances.