It had to be fast. And mistakes were made. At the start of the corona pandemic, test centers had to be built urgently. The cost of the Covid testing was covered by the federal government so no one gave up testing because of the money. After all, testing as widely as possible was key in the fight against the virus.
But the Federal Public Service of Public Health (BAG) didn’t take it that seriously. Health insurers play an important role in financing the tests. They made sure that the money flowed between test centers, laboratories and the federal government.
The door is open to possible abuse
The problem: As the Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) states in its latest audit report, BAG officials have not required the cashiers to send a statement to all test takers. That opened the door to potential abuse.
“Only the tested person can ultimately check whether the test has actually taken place,” said the responsible SFAO audit manager Daniel Hasler to Radio SRF.
Hasler also criticizes that the invoice numbers are prone to misuse. These are normally issued by the canton where the services are provided. However, they could be used throughout Switzerland for the Covid tests. Accounts are no longer always transparent. This gap has been exploited by several service providers. False statements have been submitted.
BAG assumes 30 possible cases of abuse
The BAG also recognized this – and still discovered some traces. The Federal Office currently estimates 30 possible abuse cases, some of which are related. Many are very complex.
One case has already been solved. 6,000 francs was repaid. However, this only seems to be a drop in the ocean. The health insurance fund association Santésuisse assumes a possible damage amount of no less than 20 million francs.
One case in particular stands out: a test center did not even invoice the tests, but re-sold the bills several times. Meanwhile, 15 people from the BAG are working on the salvage files. There are also external specialists.
Enough time to raise more money
From a financial control point of view, the BAG still has time to raise further funds. After all, the statute of limitations is five years. The SFAO calls on the BAG in its report to do this.
In any case, there should be hardly any new cases of abuse: parliament has just decided that the federal government will no longer cover the costs of corona tests from January. (dba)