Patient arrested for using friend’s medical card
(CNS): Two women have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and obtaining services by deception after one attempted to receive medical care at the Cayman Islands Hospital on Friday, 30 January, using her friend’s medical card, police said. The hospital confirmed that the woman concerned did receive the treatment she needed but both women were then held until the police arrived when it was realised that a fraud could have occurred.
Police said that they were alerted to the incident after hospital staff noticed that the woman attempting to receive medical care was not the woman who had registered at reception. “It would appear that one of the women registered at the front desk with her genuine insurance card and identification,” said Detective Constable Richard Clarke. “These were then passed to the second woman who went on to receive medical care.”
Lizzette Yearwood, Acting CEO of the Health Services Authority said that the HSA takes seriously any action by the public that could jeopardize the integrity, health and well-being of patients. “Fraudulently presenting a health insurance card and claiming to be the patient could have serious implications for one’s health. The quick action by our registration officer in detecting the discrepancy again demonstrates the level of training of our frontline staff and reiterates our commitment to eliminate fraud and abuse from our system.”
The HSA added that insurance ID cards are intended only for the use of the persons whose names it bears and that if a card is lent to someone else the lender, as well as the receiver, are committing fraud. “Furthermore, your medical record may bear someone else’s name and details which would create a serious health risk for you in the future,” added Yearwood.
The hospital also confirmed that the HSA policy is to treat all people in the first instance and worry about payment later and that no one who needs medical attention is ever turned away. Once treatment has been given to patients without insurance or funds the hospital says it works with those patients to find a way that they can pay back the costs of the treatment over a period of time.
The RCIPS said the two women were released on police bail pending further investigations.
Anyone with information about crime taking place in the Cayman Islands should contact their local police station or Crime Stoppers on 800-8477 (TIPS). All persons calling Crime Stoppers remain anonymous, and are eligible for a reward of up to $1000, should their information lead to an arrest or recovery of property/drugs.
Category: Headline News
Dear Twyla,
Thanks for always standing strong. And thanks for always supporting Caymanians. We truly need more persons like yourself.
God Bless
I dare say it matters not what nationality someone is..what they did was wrong, but like an earlier commentor, times are hard and people are becoming desperate and this person may have felt that it was justifiable to use deception to get the necessary medical treatment they required.I have worked at HSA for 22 years and have seen many instances of this as we are quite familiar with our patients, once confronted, these patients are usually very apologetic and will explain a very heart wrenching situation that have caused them to be deceptive, not realizing that there are ways to get required medical treatment by honest means. I noticed an increase in this abuse of process after MANDITORY insurance was implemented and alot of the expatriate workers were not insured or not covered properly by insurance to aquire medical help.Necessary diagnostic test and interventions have been refused by patients because they just cannot afford it.
We, as medical personell have offered many options for payment and have assisted in our patients getting the necessary help they require.
An this go across the board, Caymanian, expatriates, old and young alike.No difference.
Please stop the nationality bashing..we all live together..stop bashing and help the situation by looking for solutions to the growing problems our community is facing.
Why is that exposing the full identity of lawbreakers is "nationality bashing"? This is essential information if we are to address crime. If for instance, there is drug smuggling and country x is over-represented then we know where to be vigilant. If those involved in burglaries are around a certain age then we know how to target our efforts. It is simply a question of probability. We must we pretend that these things are unimportant? If in fact, as you suggest, there is no difference whatsoever according to age, nationality etc. then the statistics will reveal that. On the other hand if, as you also suggest, it is because expatriates do not have adequate insurance cover and therefore are driven to crime we can also address that. Why be afraid of the truth? This is about seeking solutions.
Recession getting rough and times getting hard. Did anyone ever stop to think that it may have been a desperate situation for the person to get medical treatment and had no other means to get it? The economic global worldwide recession has landed on our shores. Banks laying off staff already. It’s going to get worse. Maybe this person was really desperate for medical care. Bad way to go about getting it, but desperation can cause anything. We need to encourage more charitable outreaches for persons in desperate need of medical care who can’t afford it. If everyone gives $5 that would be huge when many come together and chip in.
Times getting harder, people need to get kinder and donate at least $5 to those kinds of outreaches for people needing medical care and can’t afford it.
The only thing is that there needs to be control over the donations so they are not spent wrongfully but only truthfully spent on what they claim they are asking the donation for. That’s the tough side to figure out how to deal with. Some people collect donations and don’t use them properly or truthfully for what they claim they are collecting it for.
Hard line to draw, but still helps when everyone chips in with a few dollars, makes a big difference when many come together and give.
Like i say, hard line to draw to try to figure out who is honest or dishonest with their request for donations as to what they will really do with all the money donated. I say, if it’s tin cans in stores with a picture and story on it that you can verify to be true, then go ahead and donate.
It’s going to take doing these little things that will help a nation through hard economic times.
Good luck everyone!
Unity is Strength!
CNS Note to Twyla: Just for clarity— the police never supply names of people arrested unless and until they are charged. Nor do they offer nationalities anymore because of the finger pointing and unhelpful nationality bashing it generates. Also, health records and details of treatment are private and confidential even if the person obtains that treatment by deception, hence CNS is unable to supply you with either of the things you ask.
Twyla,
Nobody ever knows what you’re getting at.
The first comment here is ill-informed. This could well have been two Caymanians, or one Caymanian and another nationality or two non-Caymanians. How does having a diverse population directly lead to fraud?
Well done to HSA though, a job well done.
WHAT I AM GETTING AT,
Thanks Gary, you have given me a name to respond to. Lets see if I can put it in a way where you can understand exactly what I am getting at when I refer to is it a space man with a cayman Pasport or a Towner with an East End Passport.
Its Simple, "Is it a foreigner and a Caymanian, involved or is it two Caymanians?". simple as that. You see I am Caymanian and I like to express myself just like that, down to earth parables, there is no need for me to talk like an American or a Canadian or other. Dig.
Twyla, expressing yourself like that has nothing to do with being Caymanian but much to do with being Twyla. The rest of us Caymanians have equal difficulty knowing what you are getting at. Go for quality, not quantity.
Once the person is charged, I agree that the information is pertinent though if we are to get a handle on crime in this country, even though it may be ‘politically incorrect’.
TALK, TALK, TALK.
In response to me expressing myself it seems that some anonymous Caymanian is still not clear that I do not care a rat====what some small minds vision. I am intelligent, smart, writer, a recognized artisan and have a kind heart, and is always speaking up for my Caymanian people.
Twyla has no one to fear but GOD, that is why I can correspond and sign my name. Secondly Twyla is not like some Caymanians, whereby you know they went to school with you and you cant understand a word they are saying, trying to speal like and American, Yankie, English or Canadian. They look you full in the eye at the supermarket like its the first time they saw you because they are driving an Escalade and you are driving a subaru.
Loosen up and stop selling out our country, and be exactly who you are then you will be able to understand every word I say. That is why I have nothing against honest foreigners comming here and earning bread, they have never taken a mouthful from my table, and it is because of anonymous Caymanianslike you, who do not want to see Caymanians like me live. It is about time that we find more Caymanians like me who is not a COWARD, who lop their frock tail and sit down and critize other Caymanians because they are too afraid to sign their name to a common letter. The majority of Caymanians who have the opportunity to read CNS are those who have money and can afford it, the remaining do not share your views, so I would suggest for once be a Caymanian……………………., barefoot, back yard chicken, roster crowing, dog barking, mango picking, hammock , and fish tea. Dont pretend,. We only have a short time left on this planet, use it well. and be blessed
Again, this has nothing to do with Caymanian culture. It has to do with your compulsion to write rambling posts. Try reading back your posts before submitting them.
B/T/W the profile you have drawn of me as a cowardly, rich Caymanian, who is selling out our country, ashamed of Caymanian culture and does not want to see you live is very entertaining and entirely inaccurate.
Service Providers should always ask for a picture ID when the card holder claim on their coverage.
THE BEST ONE I HAVE EVER HEARD
I have heard of some scams being done here, but this one is the best. Two questions come to my mind. (1) Who was this person? and (2) What was the reason? Cant comment if I dont know.
When things like this take place, please, CNS let the public know more. Caymanians want to know when something happens if its one of us, Remember this news go all over the world, and we want to give it just as it was. SPACE MAN FOUND WITH CAYMAN PASSPORT Or BODDEN TOWNER FOUND WITH EAST END PASSPORT. Do you see what I am getting at?
With all the "different nationalities" living here, this is what out Islands have come to!!