Singapore Doctor Suspended from Healthcare Claims Amidst Charges of Fraud and Sexual Offences

SINGAPORE: Dr. Lim Yong Chin, a prominent medical practitioner, has been suspended from making Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS), MediSave, and MediShield Life claims on behalf of patients following charges of cheating national healthcare groups and sexual offences. 

The Ministry of Health (MOH) announced the interim suspension on Monday, effectively removing Dr. Lim from the list of approved medical practitioners under the MediSave and MediShield Life schemes.

During this suspension, Dr. Lim is prohibited from submitting any claims under CHAS, MediSave, or MediShield Life for any medical treatment and services provided to his patients. The suspension is set to commence on September 19, 2023, and will remain in effect until the conclusion of the criminal proceedings related to the cheating charges.

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Charges Against Dr. Lim

In February of this year, Dr. Lim Yong Chin, the founder and director of Access Medical Clinics group, faced multiple charges in court. These included 15 counts of cheating the National Healthcare Group Polyclinics and SingHealth Polyclinics by allegedly facilitating fictitious claims for CHAS subsidies. Additionally, he faced allegations of sexual crimes involving at least three teenagers.

Despite the suspension of his claims approval, Dr. Lim remains authorized to provide medical treatment as long as his registration with and his practicing certificate issued by the Singapore Medical Council remain valid.

It is worth noting that approximately four years ago, the Ministry of Health suspended ten clinics under the Access Medical group from the CHAS scheme due to severe non-compliance issues with subsidies.

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MOH’s Stance on Fraudulent Claims

In response to this incident, MOH reiterated its commitment to combat fraudulent claims within the healthcare system. The statement issued by MOH declared, “MOH takes a serious view of fraudulent claims and will not hesitate to take action where non-compliance is uncovered.” Furthermore, they reminded healthcare professionals to maintain high standards of professionalism and adhere to the Singapore Medical Council’s Ethical Code and Ethical Guidelines.

Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) provides subsidies to low- to middle-income Singaporeans and individuals from the pioneer generation at numerous participating general practitioner (GP) clinics and dental clinics across the country.

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