Six major prepaid medicine companies in Buenos Aires Province are facing scrutiny for allegedly violating consumer protection laws, according to a recent inquiry by the Directorate of Defense of Users and Consumers. The probe uncovered a range of concerning practices,including abusive clauses,insufficient information disclosure,and non-compliance with the prepaid Medicine law.
Among the most egregious violations are the failure to adjust quotas based on age and the imposition of hefty late payment penalties.Some companies justify their inaction on age-related increases by claiming they only implement adjustments when members reach 65. “these things happen as Decree 70/2023 deregulated the market,” explained Adrián Ganino, former national director of Consumer Defense and Consumer Arbitration. “Previously, any changes to benefits, co-insurance increases, or charges had to be reviewed and approved by the Enforcement Authority, which was the Superintendency of Health Services.”
“This oversight ensured clarity and accountability,” Ganino continued. “Now, with deregulation and the absence of robust controls, these issues are surfacing.”
The investigation has given the implicated companies five days to provide explanations for their actions, particularly regarding price hikes exceeding inflation rates and the imposition of higher fees on senior citizens. If they fail to adequately justify their practices, they face potential fines of up to 1.3 billion Argentine pesos.
“Once these violations are detected and reported, companies have five days to explain and justify their increases above the inflation level or why they charge seniors more,” Ganino emphasized. “In that period, companies have to defend themselves and explain their actions.But,if they are not able to turn around their accusations,the sanctioning stage advances.”
This crackdown on prepaid medicine companies highlights the ongoing challenges of ensuring consumer protection in a deregulated market. the outcome of the investigation and the potential penalties imposed will be closely watched by both consumers and industry stakeholders.
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