Q: I am a doctor and my patients, by and large, are contracted to medical aid. I encounter the following issues with my patients:
1. A patient is not sick and does not require any treatment. They ask me to give them cash (e.g. R500) and bill their medical aid for R500 by making out a fake visit with consultation and medication to the value of R500. The patients insist that since they are paying the medical aid on a monthly basis, and they are not claiming for treatment every month, they are entitled to do this to recover their money.
2. A patient brings a friend or relative to me. The patient has medical aid, but the person that they brought is not contracted to any medical aid. The patient asks me to treat this person, but bill their medical aid by filling in their details instead of the actual patients details.
In the above two cases, is it permissible for me to do as the patient asks?
A:
1. The money will not be haraam because he is receiving what he gave away.
2. If it is equivalent to the contribution given to the medical aid company then it is permissible. However, one should not get involved in something that can eventually spoil one’s reputation.
And Allah Ta’ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
Answered by:
Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)