BEIJING -- China on Friday issued a guideline on the handling of crime cases involving health insurance fraud in a bid to intensify its crackdown on such offenses, which have been on the rise in recent years.

The guideline, jointly issued by the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the Ministry of Public Security, is expected to provide a detailed legal basis for punishing individuals committing health care fraud.

According to the guideline, conspirators will face punishment for committing fraud in schemes conducted by medical institutions such as fabricating medical services and medical bills.

Individuals who received health insurance refund payments illegally through fraudulent means, including using others' medical insurance certificates, will also be punished for committing fraud, as stated in the guideline.

According to official statistics, Chinese courts concluded at least 1,213 first-instance cases involving health insurance fraud between 2021 and 2023, of which 500 cases were concluded in 2023.