Orpea agrees to reimburse the State 25.7 million euros, out of the 55.8 million claimed by the public authorities

The group of private nursing homes Orpea, in turmoil since the revelations in January of the book-investigation “The Gravediggers”announced Tuesday that he would reimburse 25.7 million euros to the public authorities out of the 55.8 which are claimed from him.

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 be reimbursed to the nearest euro» these amounts, «in a spirit of constructive and responsible cooperation with the authorities“.

Preliminary investigation for institutional mistreatment

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 whofunctioned» of caregivers 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. For the company, there was no other solution than to hire people without qualifications, “in a general context of shortage of caregivers“, and she believes that she is entitled to have them paid by the Sécu. Furthermore, it is “of a widespread practice in the Private nursing homes and public, essential to ensure the quality of care“, according to Orpea. And regional health agencies, “with very few exceptions“, have not disputed it when they looked at the accounts of the establishments, adds the private group.

For the new general manager of Orpea Laurent Guillot, “the reorganization of the company“, after the scandal caused by the revelations of the journalist Victor Castanet, “goes through the recognition and change of past practices and a great cooperation with the authorities“. “We have decided to pay what the CNSA asks us, except for what concerns the + doing-function +, for which we think that a dialogue must open. We could set a precedent and put the whole industry in a difficult situation if we paid for things that fall under” from the budget “care” of the Social Security, Laurent Guillot told AFP. 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.