Disability insurance – after years of criticism, the appraisal company PMEDA goes to – Cash register collapse Espresso

After the federal government stopped the cooperation due to “serious” deficiencies, the closure now follows.

Anyone who is unable to work after an accident, due to a serious illness or mental illness receives support from disability insurance (IV). But whether there is an IV pension or not depends on a medical report that is prepared for the IV.

The Zurich company PMEDA had also prepared such reports for years and had repeatedly been sharply criticized for it: those affected, experts and voices from federal politics had accused PMEDA of the reports being sloppy and incorrect. People who were proven to be ill were classified as fully capable of working. The “Kassen Rush” first reported on it in 2018. Since then, there has been repeated criticism of PMEDA’s methods. There are also several criminal charges against doctors who prepared reports for the company.

Reports with “serious” deficiencies

Despite the criticism, the Federal Social Insurance Office (BSV) and the IV maintained their cooperation with PMEDA. Until October 2023. Then the BSV announced that it would no longer award orders to the company in the future.

Reason: The independent Commission for Quality in Medical Assessments (EKQMB), founded in 2022, examined reports from PMEDA and found “serious formal and substantive deficiencies”. The EKQMB therefore unanimously recommended that the BSV end its collaboration with PMEDA.

PMEDA is in liquidation

Now the next chapter follows: The commercial register of the canton of Zurich shows that PMEDA is closing – the company is in liquidation. The company remains silent about the reasons. A request from the SRF consumer magazine “Espresso” remained unanswered. SRF editor Peter Basler, who has been dealing with the PMEDA case for years, assumes that the closure is related to the company’s bad reputation: “The name PMEDA should probably disappear.”

Reviewers move on

So PMEDA is canceling its sails. Whereby: Doctors who were presumably responsible for the company’s incorrect reports in recent years are continuing. According to that “Sunday view” There are several doctors who have worked for PMEDA for years and who now continue to work in so-called expert teams of two for the IV.

A spokesman for the federal government said: “In principle, there is nothing to prevent doctors who meet the qualitative and formal requirements and who were or are still working as experts for PMEDA AG from being included in expert teams of two or in others Expert bodies can prepare reports for the IV.”