Dutch Healthcare Fraud: Billions Lost to Criminals as Law Loopholes Persist

According to reporting by broadcaster EenVandaag, approximately 1.5 billion euros in Dutch healthcare funds flow into the hands of criminals annually, a drain that health insurance executives and lawmakers argue could be curbed with a single legislative amendment.

Insurance provider Menzis currently employs 31 full-time personnel dedicated to detecting and combating care fraud, but staff members recover only a fraction of the misused funds, according to the broadcaster. René Groot Koerkamp, director of the Menzis Zorgkantoor, told EenVandaag that investigations often stretch across eighteen months due to current legal limitations. With existing statutory powers, the health insurer can execute roughly ten complex fraud investigations each year.

The Legal Loophole in the Wet Bibob

The primary institutional bottleneck involves the Dutch integrity vetting statute known as the Wet Bibob, or the Public Administration Probity Screening Act. While the statute screens prospective entrepreneurs in sectors such as construction and hospitality for criminal backgrounds, it does not currently apply to individuals launching healthcare companies funded through the Wet langdurige zorg, or Wlz, which governs long-term care, according to EenVandaag.

The vulnerability was tested during the summer when Mr. Groot Koerkamp lost a legal challenge against a care provider after attempting to screen the background of its directors via the Wet Bibob. The court ruled that such background checks are impermissible for enterprises receiving funds under the Wlz framework. Insiders note that adding a single letter reference to include the Wlz in the statute would allow authorities to screen operators prior to market entry.

This sort of care company are ideal vehicles for money laundering operations. They make abuse of their clients, the clients are for them merchandise. While it often concerns vulnerable people who need care, people with an intellectual disability, homeless people, addicts, or people with a detention background.

René Groot Koerkamp, Menzis

Because Wlz-funded entities fall outside the scope of pre-licensing integrity screenings, vulnerable populations remain exposed to operators who submit fraudulent personal budget applications, known as pgb requests, and pocket the proceeds, according to Mr. Groot Koerkamp. Regional Fraud Figures and Geographically Mobile Networks

Financial irregularities within the care sector extend across multiple Dutch regions, with local authorities and investigative bodies raising alarms. Broadcaster Rijnmond reported that Rotterdam officials are demanding immediate action against fraudulent operators utilizing fake declarations and unqualified personnel. Broadcaster Omroep West noted that the national government in Den Haag has characterized enforcement as “mopping with the tap open.”

Additional regional reporting highlights the financial scale of suspicious transactions. According to news outlet NOS, authorities flagged 71 million euros in suspicious transactions involving care funds across Oost-Nederland. Recent law enforcement searches targeting fraudulent care operations in that region uncovered hidden firearms and hard drugs, according to findings cited by EenVandaag. Mr. Groot Koerkamp described these criminal networks as highly mobile. Operators who face scrutiny in Den Haag reportedly relocate clients by van to new facilities in cities like Enschede to continue their operations. Political Response and Skepticism Over Reform Timelines

Minister Mirjam Sterk van Langdurige Zorg has pledged to amend the legislation so that care providers receiving Wlz funding can be systematically screened through the Wet Bibob, according to EenVandaag. Jan Struijs, a parliamentarian for the 50PLUS party and a former police official, voiced skepticism regarding the government’s reliance on preparatory taskforces.

We’ve been shouting for so long that this needs to happen. But now another taskforce is coming to study how things stand. We are simply dealing with civil servants here, I often call them ‘inhibitors in permanent service’, who mainly hold things back.

Jan Struijs, 50PLUS

Mr. Struijs contrasted the regulatory environment for care providers with other commercial sectors, describing it as a situation where opening a snack bar requires a screening process lasting up to a year, while care operators face fewer upfront barriers.