Healthcare fraud, corruption and waste are a serious and growing threat to the sustainability and the quality of European healthcare systems. For many years, a lack of objective information and hard evidence has stood in the way of finding efficient and effective solutions to tackle the problem. Healthcare fraud, corruption and waste in Europe. National and academic perspectives provides a better understanding of the specific and complex nature of these phenomena and offers best practices from European countries to fight them. In the first part, healthcare fraud, corruption and waste are explained by senior policymakers and experts from health economical, criminological, data analytic and legal perspectives. The second part compiles a series of reports, describing how countries in Europe face the challenges of reducing the financial losses generated by healthcare fraud, corruption and waste.

Containing practical and comparative data, this book provides useful information and tools for policy makers, stakeholders and investigators in combating fraud, corruption and waste in national healthcare systems and across borders.

Author's information

Misja Mikkers has worked at the NZa (Dutch Healthcare Authority) since 2003, in different functions. Currently he holds the position of Chief Economist and manages the Economic and Medical Bureau. He is responsible for economic research on healthcare reforms and public health advice. Furthermore, Misja Mikkers (1968) is endowed Professor of Organization and Financing in the Healthcare Sector at the Department of Economics of Tilburg University. He obtained a PhD in economics from Copenhagen University with a dissertation on the theory and practice of regulatory design.

Wolf Sauter, PhD in law at the European University Institute, Florence, is professor of economic law at Tilburg University where he previously held a chair in healthcare regulation. He currently works at the Dutch competition authority (ACM), on secondment from the Dutch healthcare authority (NZa). Wolf has worked for various universities and governmental organisations, including DG Competition of the European Commission, and in private practice in Brussels.

Paul Vincke is Director of Staff at the Department of Medical Evaluation and Control (MEID) of the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (NIHDI) in Belgium and Managing Director of the European Healthcare Fraud and Corruption Network (EHFCN). He has obtained a degree in Criminology at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium. Within EHFCN Paul has been Treasurer and Deputy Director-General since October 2005. He was elected President in 2007 and continued to represent the Network in this function until he was appointed Managing Director of EHFCN on 1 January 2013.

Jos Boertjens works as a senior supervisor and legal expert for the NZa (Dutch Healthcare Authority). After graduating from Utrecht University in Law and Spanish, Jos worked for Utrecht University as a lecturer and, consequently, as a lawyer, in the field of administrative law. Within the Dutch Healthcare Authority, Jos’ work consists of providing legal advice on compliance and enforcement issues and acting as a supervisor of institutions in the field of health care.