Together with Piet Sippens, Diederik Schrijvershof and Annabel Kingma are representing several GPs in preliminary relief proceedings against healthcare insurer Zilveren Kruis. Many GPs have been successfully using practice nurses in their general practices for many years. A practice nurse supports a GP in the field of somatics. As part of the 2019-2022 Outline Agreement, insurer Zilveren Kruis (“ZK”) decided to make GP practices future-proof, to give GPs more time for their patients and to give them more scope to engage a practice nurse. However, ZK is now suddenly changing the practice nurse financing system, among other things, without stating any reason. This is giving rise to financial shortfalls at GPs and is creating a much more onerous administrative burden for them. ZK’s approach is therefore not only at odds with the 2019-2022 Outline Agreement, in which it was agreed to reduce the administrative burden and create more time for patients, but is also impacting chronically ill patients, among others. As a result of the new ZK financing system, the practice nurse caring for chronically ill patients will no longer be reimbursed at cost. This is putting pressure on the engagement of practice nurses, despite the fact that many GPs have hired (and have had to hire) a practice nurse in order to keep (chronic) second-line care (e.g. the hospital) in the first line (GP). The GPs also presented a petition to Zilveren Kruis at the end of 2021, in which they called on ZK to continue the financing of years 2019 to 2021, among others. ZK has not yet complied with that request.
Skipr, Trouw and NOS.nl have reported on this issue. The NOS news programme also paid attention to it on 27 December 2021.
Maverick Advocaten represents healthcare providers on a daily basis to achieve cost-effective rates in healthcare. Maverick Advocaten has successfully conducted preliminary relief and other court proceedings on behalf of healthcare providers regarding the procurement of e.g. youth care, forensic care, SGLVG (Serious Behavioural Problems and Mild Intellectual Disability) care and (also on appeal) long-term care. In 2020, Maverick Advocaten also successfully represented several acute mental healthcare providers in order to obtain a cost-effective decision from the NZa (Dutch Healthcare Authority). In 2021, they won proceedings against the NZa before the Trade and Industry Appeals Tribunal on behalf of another acute mental healthcare provider. Maverick Advocaten has also been successful in the fight against excessive purchasing power of healthcare insurers.
More information on the rights of healthcare providers in healthcare sales and the possibilities for their trade associations to support them can be found at www.zorgcontractering.com
