The Acting Minister of Health, Consumption and Social Welfare, María Luisa Carcedo, has held a meeting with representatives of groups affected by the closure of the iDental clinics.
The minister has communicated to the victims of the closure her concern about her state of health as well as the economic loss she suffered. In addition, it has transferred the commitment to continue working on all the actions that the General State Administration develops in the field of its competences.
María Luisa Carcedo has made an appeal in defense of the rights of those affected as consumers, faced with the risk of suffering abuses in relation to the credits contracted for the treatments.
In this way, it has demanded strict compliance with the article 29 of Law 16/2011, of June 24, of consumer credit agreements, with regard to linked loans.
The minister stressed that if financial and non-financial entities continue charging or demanding collection from those affected by the closure of the clinics they would be incurring an undue charge, with the consequences provided in article 25 of Law 16/2011.
In addition, he recalled that, before treatments suspended and financed with linked loans, entities may not require any accreditation, medical reports or expert reports on the status of the treatment of those affected, since the service was not provided and the The contracted loan was used exclusively to finance the provision of specific services.
He also stressed that entities "can not substitute a credit linked to the service, in this case, the payment of a dental treatment, for credits to the consumption of any product without the express consent of the client for the damage that could cause."
Therefore, in the event that those affected by the closure of the iDental clinics sign new contracts with other financial entities, the entities must inform those affected of what type of contract they subscribe, a consumer credit or a linked credit. In the event that the financial or non-financial entity substitutes a credit linked to a consumer loan, the financial institution must have the express consent of the debtor.
Minister Carcedo has also insisted that strict compliance with the provisions of the Order of February 5, 2009, Instruction Court No. 5 of the Audiencia Nacional regarding the linked loans of those affected with iDental be followed.
In this regard, it has indicated that all those who have linked loans and are without the completed treatment can not be included in lists of defaulters.