Apostolos Tomaras
The explanations provided by the Health Insurance Organization (HIO) regarding reports of double payments to healthcare providers have not resolved concerns about the management of public funds. The two statements issued by the HIO have not been convincing, particularly at the political level. The government does not consider the matter closed, despite the Organization’s efforts to recover the excess payments through offsets.
The issue initially drew attention at the Presidential Palace, where the President ordered stricter oversight of public spending. According to reliable sources, the Ministry of Finance considers the matter too serious to be dismissed as a simple technical or procedural issue, as the HIO claims.
Even if the Organization succeeds in recovering the excess funds through monthly offsets, public finances have already suffered losses due to the cost of money. In practical terms, the state effectively provided interest-free financing worth millions of euros to private entities.
Unlike the Ministry of Finance, the Audit Office has not indicated any immediate intervention, even though the matter was discussed last Friday morning. The absence of any response from the Ministry of Health, which supervises the HIO, has also gone largely unnoticed.
Finance Ministry intervention
The Ministry of Finance, along with Finance Minister Makis Keravnos, reportedly reacted strongly once the double payments became public. The Minister stated that the reports must be investigated and, if confirmed, they would point to a lack of both internal and external controls. He added that the HIO’s board and management must provide clear explanations.
Government sources describe the issue as extremely serious, especially since it adds to other financial concerns already associated with the Organization. According to officials, the HIO does not provide sufficient funding to the State Health Services Organization (OKYPY), forcing the government to subsidize it, while at the same time making €150 million in double payments.
Officials stressed that explanations will be demanded and safeguards will be required. Taxpayers, they said, should not be subsidizing OKYPY due to insufficient funding from the HIO while the Organization is simultaneously making such large overpayments.
The Ministry of Finance plans to send auditors to the HIO to examine the double payments, their duration, and whether negligence occurred on the part of staff or management.
The Audit Office
The Audit Office, which oversees the HIO, took note of the revelations but does not currently see a need for an extraordinary audit, despite the €150 million in excess payments.
The matter was discussed last Friday morning, and it was decided that a letter would first be sent to the HIO. The Organization’s response will determine the next steps. If no urgent issue is identified, the case will be reviewed during the regular audit process.
The Ministry of Health
The Ministry of Health’s lack of response has also raised questions. So far, it has not issued any official or unofficial statement regarding the issue. It remains unclear whether the Ministry has requested explanations internally or whether it agrees with the HIO’s attempt to downplay the situation.
For context, the HIO’s budget falls under the Ministry of Health’s oversight. Once approved, it is forwarded to the Ministry of Finance for formal approval. Attempts by “K” to obtain the Ministry’s position were unsuccessful.
The €150 million
The HIO has not officially disclosed which providers received the double payments. However, newer information suggests that the largest share went to OKYPY.
According to the Organization’s second statement, the double payments appear to have started in December 2024, when responsibility for supplying expensive medications shifted from the Ministry of Health to the HIO. While the Organization does not specify how long the payments continued, sources indicate they stopped in January.
Those same sources say the issue had been identified well before the payments were halted. For reasons that remain unclear, the HIO continued for at least a year to make duplicate payments to providers and suppliers.
Specifically, the Organization’s accounting department approved and paid for inpatient services that included both treatment and medications. It then reimbursed the same providers again for expensive drugs that had already been covered under those services.
What raises serious concerns, and may lead to internal developments within the HIO, is that the problem had reportedly been identified early on. Despite that, the duplicate payments were only stopped in January, long after they were first detected.
