Still not paid: Private health care providers go after gov't

A Leeuwarden lawyer has set up a foundation where private health care providers who are experiencing problems because of the chaos surrounding the payment budget claims can come together. The lawyer plans to file a joint compensation claim against the Social Insurance Bank. Lawyer Eric van de Groot will be acting on behalf of the caregivers. According to him, there are thousands of them. "It is not just about people who have not been paid, but also people who were paid late in recent months.", he said to NOS. Van der Groot set up the foundation after winning a similar case against the Social Insurance Bank, or SVB, last week. Van der Groot represented a woman who received her payment late from the Bank. In this case the judge ruled based on the rules for en employment relationship between employer and employee. Employers who pay a salary late have to pay a statutory increase which can be up to 50 percent of the salary. The SVB has to pay the woman 25 percent more than her original invoice. By establishing the Foundation Personal Budged Compensation Claim, Van der Groot hopes to help care providers get their money on time. "I want to help them in the fight against an institution like the SVB. Many find the costs too high. That is now cheaper." he said to NOS. According to the lawyer, dozens of care providers have already reported to the foundation. Van der Groot hopes to be able to reach a settlement with the SVB for these care providers. If that fails, he will file a lawsuit. He believes that he stands a good chance in the courts while representing a large group of health care providers.