Amazed by the Orpea Group’s fraudulent practices revealed through the book The gravediggers, by Victor Castanet (Fayard, January 2022) The Senate two years ago called on the government to strike hard to clean up the practices of commercial nursing homes. When considering the proposed law (PPL) on the well-being of aging, approved on Tuesday, February 6, senators showed more moderate zeal in their call for moralizing the sector.
The text, voted on by a large majority, was introduced by the National Assembly in its first reading in November and did not contain any articles that imposed financial restrictions and called for greater transparency from companies. “Unfavorable” to this major revision of the PPL, Catherine Vautrin, the new Minister of Labor, Health and Solidarity, did not oppose the deletion of two provisions. However, they had been brought into government by his predecessors.
The Senate has thus abolished the obligation for lucrative nursing homes to reserve up to 10% of their profits to improve the quality of care for their residents. “A display measure, dangerous for the financing of nursing homes,” said Jean Sol, Senator (Les Républicains) of the Pyrénées-Orientales, co-rapporteur of the PPL.
There is a risk that investors will be deterred
In November, the then Solidarity Minister Aurore Bergé advocated this measure in the assembly. Its initiator was Jean-Christophe Combe, his predecessor in the ministry. “Even if this measure is seen as symbolic, entrust World Mr Combe, The aim was to demonstrate the private sector’s desire for respectful practices towards residents, a lifeline to restore their public image. » But since then, several large commercial operators have argued to the government and the Senate that this financial commitment could deter investors.
“There is no question of any stigmatization of the actors [du secteur privé], explained in session MMe Vautrin. We will need all of them to meet the challenge of aging. » The minister referring to “ wisdom” of the Senate, should not prioritize fighting for the reintroduction of this measure during the joint joint committee it will convene to find a compromise between the two assemblies, a prerequisite for the final adoption of the PPL.
MMe Vautrin also supported the Senate’s position, which eliminated the requirement for all nursing homes, regardless of status, to report their ratio of employees to the number of residents. The National Assembly had made it mandatory to transmit these data to the National Solidarity Fund for Autonomy (CNSA) so that it could publish them on its website. A measure devised by Brigitte Bourguignon, delegate of the Minister of Autonomy in March 2022, to provoke one “Shock of transparency” after the Orpea affair.
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