Dodgy physio manages to fleece patients at least 50 times ... and now he can’t be traced by phone or on social media platforms
But she had not met him, had not been for a consultation with Peu – whose online presence suggests he’s from Soshanguve – and in fact had not heard of him. Masilo believes her case has lifted the lid on Peu’s seemingly fraudulent behaviour. When she contacted Thabazimbi Hospital, which was his last known point of contact, she was told she was at least the “50th person” to call in complaining about Peu since he left in 2012.
The council’s spokesperson, Priscilla Sekhonyana, confirmed that Peu had been suspended since November last year. But it was over non-payment of his annual fees.HOW TO PROTECT AGAINST MEDICAL AID FRAUDAccording to section 66 of the Medical Schemes Act, medical aid fraud, committed either by a member or a healthcare practitioner, is a criminal offence that carries a fine, imprisonment or both.
“In our experience, the biggest single deterrent is making it known that we are actively investigating every suspicious or unusual claim or activity and to report convictions. Education goes a long way in curbing the abuse of medical aid benefits in terms of the relationships between medical aids, healthcare providers and members.”
The scheme advised their members to pay him upfront for services and then claim back from the scheme, if they wished to consult him. “We have observed a trend in which healthcare practitioners go into partnership or obtain a new practice number so that they can continue claiming. We have even had a case in which a fraudulent healthcare provider legally changed his surname to register a new practice and circumvent sanctions.”