Nearly a quarter of all the expenses submitted last year by private health clinics to EOPYY, are in need of further investigation, under suspicions of overcharging practices, according to an audit carried by private inspectors. As Kathimerini reports, private clinics have submitted 130 million euros’ worth of expenses that account a quarter of the total of 430 million euros in charges made to EOPYY last year, amount that overshoots the government budget by an estimated 100 million euros. The audit’s results revealed thousands of instances of unusual extensions of treatment and readmissions of patients just a few days after their discharge, while private clinics in questions have already been requested to provide explanations for charges undue. 

Health sector officials described the findings as “impressive” and the Health Ministry’s former leadership insistence on private firms conducting an independent audit of charges being submitted to EOPYY, justified.