Mein Arzt practice in Hünenberg soon to be saved?

Martin Illi ran a doctor's office in Hünenberg for 33 years. He then made an arrangement with a man who is now suspected of being a fraudster.

"Grüezi. Due to circumstances, the practice telephone is only available from Monday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.” The voice on the answering machine belongs to Dr. Martin Illi, family doctor in Hünenberg and, from 1986 onwards, holder of a professional licence to practice in the canton of Zug. And "due to circumstances" is a paraphrase for the debacle that the Austrian entrepreneur and alleged fraudster Christian Neuschitzer has caused in German-speaking Switzerland: in Hünenberg and In Niederrohrdorf, as well as in Günsberg and Herisau, in Chur, Lucerne or in Oensingen.

With his Mein Arzt GmbH, Neuschitzer is said to be responsible for millions of Swiss francs of damage. Neuschitzer's target group was doctors who were about to retire, but did not want to close their practice. He promised to find them a successor, to take over administration and finance, and to look after purchasing, tax matters and the modernization of the practice from then on. In return, the doctors transferred their practice to Neuschitzer. They could even continue to work for him as employees If they wanted. Neuschitzer had found a niche in the market, and built up a company empire that ultimately included more than 30 practices and at least 130 employees.

This practice in Niederrohrdorf, like some others run by "Mein Arzt", had to close

Disappeared in August, arrested in September
But criticism soon arose: unpaid invoices, delivery stops, debt recovery actions amounting to millions of francs. The "Rundschau" uncovered the machinations In June, Neuschitzer disappeared n August, and was arrested in Italy in September. According to media reports, the Zurich Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating the Austrian on suspicion of fraud. In the meantime, however, the presumption of innocence still applies.

He made a good impression, says Martin Illi, when our newspaper contacted him at home by phone four months after the case became known. "His exuberant manner didn't really suit me. But it was our last chance to allow the practice to continue." Martin Illi had arranged his succession in the summer of 2018, and a suitable candidate was ready. But the authorities did not grant the foreign doctor a practice permit. The agreement collapsed, and Illi came under pressure. During this time, Christian Neuschitzer contacted the Hünenberg doctor and talked about his business model. Because Illi saw no alternative, he agreed. On October 31st, Mein Arzt Hünenberg GmbH was registered in the Commercial Register. But no sooner did Neuschitzer take over, the running of the  business became noticeably worse. According to Illi, there are many personnel changes. The new doctors "couldn’t take over the patients properly". The patients began to go elsewhere. At one point, no more medicines could be provided. Something was wrong.

Illi will probably still find a successor
Today, Martin Illi says: "My practice is only running at a minimum level at the moment." But: there are signs of improvement. According to Martin Illi, an agreement is likely to be reached with a doctor from the "Mein Arzt" organisation, who is just as fed up with Neuschitzer's machinations as he is. The Verbindung Schweizer Ärztinnen und Ärzte (FMH: Swiss Doctors Association), which set up a task force in response to "Mein Arzt", have helped him with the succession plan. Illi hopes that the Betreibungs- und Konkursamt (Debt Collection and Bankruptcy Office) will quickly close the case so that there will be nothing to block a possible restart: "My practice in Hünenberg will then be saved."

In the meantime, it is not only the judiciary that’s dealing with Christian Neuschitzer, who ran a snack bar and a swingers’ club in Kärnten in Austria before starting his business in Switzerland. "Mein Arzt" has become a political issue in many cantons, and, since this week, also in Zug. By means of an formal question (interpellation), the ALG party (Alternative Left and Green) wants to know from the government how it will help doctors who are looking for a successor. The party also wants to know how many practices in the canton of Zug are affected by the "Mein Arzt" case.

A glance at the commercial register shows that Neuschitzer preferred to use the canton of Zug as the base for his operations. In addition to another ‘Mein Arzt im Ägerital GmbH” practice, which has been removed from the commercial register since August 2019, Neuschitzer is or has been involved in seven companies in the canton of Zug. Among others, he sat on the board of directors of a company that provides "services in the areas of beauty and well-being", and was also involved in a construction company and a consulting company. Two of the seven companies are based in Risch, five in Zug; and all of them have the same address: Untermüli 6.