Polish doctors debate criminal liability over NFZ billing disputes

Legal experts in Poland clarify that high earnings for doctors under civil‑law contracts with the National Health Fund (NFZ) do not constitute a crime. Criminal liability arises only when there is evidence that public funds were obtained through intentional wrongdoing, such as billing for services not rendered, inflating procedure values, or submitting false medical documentation.

The Regional Medical Council in Zielona Góra issued a strong statement rejecting the trend of attributing the long‑standing health‑system crisis to individual doctors. It urged that isolated cases should not be generalized and emphasized that systemic problems, not physician misconduct, drive the current challenges.