The group of private nursing homes Orpea, in turmoil since the revelations in January of the investigative book "Les Fossoyeurs", announced Tuesday that it would reimburse 25.7 million euros to the public authorities out of the 55.8 which are due to it. claimed.
This sum corresponds to the end-of-year discounts granted by its suppliers for purchases that had been financed by Social Security, but also to the amount of two taxes and insurance costs that the group had included in its calculations to claim public subsidies, he said in a statement.
Orpea undertakes “to reimburse to the nearest euro” these amounts, “in a spirit of constructive and responsible cooperation with the authorities”.
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On the other hand, the group is contesting the reimbursement of 30.1 million euros that the National Solidarity Fund for Autonomy (CNSA) had also put it on notice to return at the end of July.
This sum corresponds to the remuneration of certain employees of the group who “acted” as nursing auxiliaries without having the qualification.
The CNSA considers that these salaries could not be paid for by the public authorities since the people concerned are not caregivers.
Social security no longer wants to pay "unqualified caregivers"
For the company, there was no other solution than to hire unqualified people, "in a general context of a shortage of carers", and it considers that it is justified in having them paid by the Social Security.
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In addition, it is "a generalized practice in private and public nursing homes, essential to ensure the quality of care", according to Orpea.
And the regional health agencies, “with very rare exceptions”, did not dispute this when they looked at the accounts of the establishments, adds the private group.
For the new general manager of Orpea Laurent Guillot, "the refoundation of the company", after the scandal caused by the revelations of the journalist Victor Castanet, "passes by the recognition and the change of previous practices and a great cooperation with the authorities ".
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“We have decided to pay what the CNSA asks of us, except for those who
do the job
, for which we believe that a dialogue should be opened.
We could create a precedent and put the whole sector in a complicated situation if we paid for things that come under "the" care "budget of Social Security, said Laurent Guillot.
Justice opened in April a preliminary investigation against Orpea for institutional abuse and financial offences.
The group is present in 23 countries and manages more than 350 establishments for dependent elderly people in France.