Dominican Republic: Judge Jails Eight in Public Health Insurance Fraud
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC · JUSTICE
Key Facts
- —The country The Dominican Republic, where the state insurer Senasa pays clinics and doctors for the care of millions of residents.
- —Why it matters Prosecutors have moved from the insurer’s former managers to the doctors who bill it. Most of the 26 suspects in this phase are physicians.
- —What happened Late on Sunday 27 September, a judge in Santo Domingo sent eight suspects to preventive prison and nine to house arrest. Two left with no restrictions.
- —The numbers Prosecutors put the alleged loss in this phase at about RD$40 million (about US$673,000). Thirteen suspects admitted the facts, they said.
- —What it means for you Prosecutors warn that doctors who lend their billing codes risk criminal charges. The case tests how closely the state checks what it pays for.
- —Still open No trial date, and the exact count of those jailed differs between local outlets.
A judge in the Dominican Republic has jailed eight people pending trial in the Senasa fraud case. It is the second phase of a probe into the public health insurer.
Judge Rigoberto Sena ruled late on Sunday 27 September and placed nine more under house arrest, Diario Libre and Acento reported. Most of the suspects are doctors accused of billing the insurer for care that was never given.
Who goes to prison and who goes home
Senasa, the National Health Insurance, is the state body that pays clinics and doctors for patients’ care. The judge sat at the National District’s standing duty court, which handles pre-trial custody.
Four men were sent to Las Parras prison and four women to Najayo Mujeres, according to Diario Libre and Acento. El Nuevo Diario and Hoy counted seven in prison.
Most of the others received bail, travel bans and orders to report to court regularly. El Nuevo Diario reported that two suspects left with no restrictions at all.
The judge also declared the case complex, which gives prosecutors more time to investigate.
How the alleged scheme worked
According to Listín Diario, the network arranged false approvals for surgeries, consultations and outpatient procedures. Diario Libre reported that doctors lent their personal billing codes so that others could file claims.
Prosecutors had asked for 18 months of preventive detention, Diario Libre and Infobae reported. Thirteen suspects admitted the facts, and prosecutors then sought house arrest for nine of them, Diario Libre reported.
“All the defendants except two remained deprived of liberty,” El Nuevo Diario quoted Wilson Camacho as saying. Camacho, who heads prosecutions at the Public Ministry, also urged doctors not to lend their codes.
The first phase, known as Operation Cobra, led to the arrest of former Senasa director Santiago Hazim, Infobae noted. This phase opened with the raids covered in Senasa 2.0: Dominican Republic Detains 28 in Health Fraud Raids.
For how the system serves foreigners, see Healthcare in the Dominican Republic 2026: What Foreigners Can Actually Get.
What Is Not Yet Known
Outlets disagree on whether seven or eight people were jailed in the Senasa fraud case, and on how many received lesser measures. The written ruling has not been published.
None of the suspects has been convicted, and the defence may appeal. Prosecutors say the investigation will continue, but have not said whether more doctors or clinics are in their sights.
Sources: Diario Libre; Listín Diario; Acento; El Nuevo Diario; Infobae; Hoy.
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