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Corona test center (in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania)
Photo: Jens Büttner / dpa
The federal government wants to act more efficiently against fraud in the billing of corona tests.
The cabinet decided to amend the so-called notification regulation, as the Federal Ministry of Finance announced on request.
As a result, the statutory health insurance associations are obliged to notify the tax authorities of payments for the free citizen tests.
The government is reacting to incorrect billing and fraud cases by test centers.
In the future, the tax authorities should be better able to check whether income is fully and correctly stated in tax returns.
The ordinance is intended to make all payments made this year notifiable.
The regulation still requires the approval of the Federal Council.
Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) had already ordered stricter control requirements in June.
Among other things, private test centers should only be able to be approved after individual testing.
The option of collective billing for several test sites, for example for national operators, is to be eliminated.
The statutory health insurance associations responsible for billing in the federal states should carry out additional tests.
In addition, test fees have been reduced.
There are 15,000 test sites from various operators nationwide.
Since the beginning of March, the federal government has been paying for at least one rapid test per week.
The suspected cases were about the fact that providers should have billed many more tests than were actually done.
There were first public prosecutor investigations.
ime / dpa / Reuters