Arrests in Plovdiv: Scheme to Defraud the National Health Insurance Fund Uncovered

Seven individuals with medical qualifications have been detained for issuing fraudulent referrals to the National Health Insurance Fund, according to an announcement from the District Prosecutor’s Office and the police in Bulgaria's second largest city of Plovdiv on May 14.

Five of the seven detainees are general practitioners with practices not only in Plovdiv but also on the territory of the district.

Patients have been going to them, asking to have their health booklets certified. The required microbiological tests were allegedly sent to a medical center in Asenovgrad, but the patients themselves never actually went there. Nevertheless, they later received completed and certified health booklets from their GPs—those now facing charges.

These health booklets are mandatory for employment in kindergartens, the food industry, and restaurants. The prosecution emphasized the high public danger of this offense, as it potentially allows individuals who have not undergone the necessary health checks—and whose health status is therefore unknown—to work in positions that require verified medical fitness.

The investigation into the case is ongoing.