News item | 20-04-2022 | 12:21
The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) is restarting the subsidy scheme Coronabanen in de Zorg (COZO). The new subsidy rules are expected to be published at the end of June. From then on, care organizations can again claim COZO for 2022. At the beginning of February, the extension of this scheme for 2022 was temporarily suspended after signals of possible improper use of the scheme. To limit the risk of improper use or misuse of the extension as much as possible, additional measures will be taken at COZO before 2022.
In February, the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport received signals that the scheme may have been abused, after which Minister for Long-term Care and Sport Conny Helder decided to temporarily suspend the scheme. There is now insight into the vulnerabilities of COZO for 2021. As a result, extra measures can be taken to design COZO in a responsible manner before 2022. That is why Minister Helder has decided to restart the scheme.
Additional measures
Various additional control measures are being taken. For example, healthcare providers will have to comply with extra guarantees for authenticity, the entire amount will not be paid directly to healthcare providers as an advance and secondments will have to be members of a sector organization and have a quality mark. Also, a random sample is no longer held for subsidy applications up to 125,000 euros, but all those applications are checked. In addition, the Service Implementation Subsidies to Institutions (DUS-I) is entitled to request further documents and to investigate the applicant. With these measures, Minister Helder wants to reduce abuse risks and reduce the financial impact of any abuse.
Signals about COZO 2021
The investigation by the Dutch Labor Inspectorate (NLA) and the Public Prosecution Service (OM) is currently ongoing. It has not been established at this time whether there are actually irregularities. Advances paid cannot therefore be reclaimed at this time.
The Public Prosecution Service decides whether the facts give sufficient cause for a criminal investigation. The Health and Youth Care Inspectorate (IGJ) has been asked to further investigate the signals, also assessing intervention options for care providers.
Corona jobs in care
Corona jobs in care are temporary jobs in care in support functions. Due to these corona jobs, healthcare employees are relieved of the extraordinarily high demand for care, failure of colleagues and overload and catch-up care due to corona. The COZO subsidy scheme finances the full wage costs and, in addition, a surcharge for the supervision of these jobs. In 2021, almost €84 million in subsidy was granted from the scheme to 513 healthcare providers for 7342 corona jobs. With the extension of COZO before 2022, healthcare organizations can claim subsidy for corona jobs for the period between January 1, 2022 and June 30, 2022.
Opening
The subsidy scheme is being restructured with additional measures. The regulation is then submitted to the Advisory Board for Regulatory Pressure Assessment. As soon as this has taken place, the scheme will be reopened and previous applicants for the COZO will be informed by the implementing organization SO I†