Application for healthcare workers' compensation with Long COVID to be facilitated

In the future, it will be a little easier for healthcare workers with Long COVID to apply for compensation. The government will provide 15,000 euros for those who became ill for a long time in the first coronavirus wave and therefore can no longer work (full time). Those affected can apply between Sept. 25 and Oct. 23, 2023, outgoing Care Minister Conny Helder reported in a parliamentary letter. The money is expected to be disbursed this year.

According to the minister's parliamentary letter, healthcare workers must meet certain criteria to be eligible for this provision. For instance, only affected health care workers can only apply who " provided frequent and intensive care to COVID-19 patients during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (during the period March 1, 2020, through June 30, 2020) in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (in the period from 1 March 2020 to 30 June 2020), and/or were closely involved in that care during their work, became ill in the first wave, now have long-term post-COVID complaints for more than 2 years and as a result are no longer able to (fully) perform their own work," the parliamentary letter states.

Based on the responses received to the draft, Helder has slightly adjusted the regulation. This means that healthcare workers with a rejected WIA decision will soon be able to take advantage of the scheme. The application process has also been simplified. For example, the provider's statement no longer has to be signed by a director, but by the (then) supervisor of the person affected. This lowers the threshold for obtaining such a statement, Helder said.

In her opinion, the regulation is impractical for self-employed persons because it is difficult to objectively assess their situation according to the standards. The PVV had called for sole proprietors to be included in the scheme. The minister argues that self-employed persons can still apply if they believe that the requirements are met. In special cases, the minister could deviate from the regulation, she stated.

The healthcare workers who got sick in the first COVID wave occupy a special position for the government. Little was known about the virus, and even nursing staff did not always have adequate protective equipment at the time because of a worldwide shortage.

The Ministry of Health expects to receive about a thousand applications from nursing and social workers, a spokesperson reported. The ministry bases this on figures from the benefit organization UWV, which has recorded people with COVID-19 as a main or secondary diagnosis by industry in connection with a WIA decision. However, this does not include the self-employed group. Only those insured with the UWV.