What Type of Healthcare System Does Brazil Have?

What type of health care system does Brazil have? The health care system in Brazil includes national, government-sponsored policies and private organizations. Therefore, there is not one type of health care system in Brazil, but a collection of several systems working together to make sure people get the medical care they need. So, what type of system of health care is in Brazil and how does it work?

The health care system that Brazil has includes national health care, HMOs and programs from other national, government and private entities. It’s a complex system that, like any health care system, has both its flaws and its benefits and its supporters and detractors.

It’s an interesting system, in the fact that most of the care is given by private sectors yet funded by the public. It also leads to expensive health care, although that cost isn’t paid (at least directly at the time of service) by the citizens. It is, however, funded by social security.

HMO-Style Health Care System

Brazil is ranked as the largest health maintenance organizer (HMO) in Latin America. Those who operate the system are constantly working towards reform and advancements to try and serve the needs of their citizens.

Health Plan

Brazil’s national health policy operates on four-year plans, examined and re-approved every four years by the congress. The system is referred to as the Unified Health System (SUS), and is funded by the public. It is given to all permanent residents for free, and is paid by general taxes.

The SUS system was created in 1988 with the goal of providing health care as the right of everyone and the obligation of the government; essentially, this is a universal health care system. The majority of Brazilians rely on SUS for their health care as opposed to private plans. Policies are administered by the Minister for Health.

Brazilian Citizens Right to Health Care

Another very important feature of the health care system that Brazil has is that the Brazilian constitution states that all citizens have the right to free medical care. They have the option of seeking it from public care providers or from private providers that have arranged for reimbursement processes from the government. The latter scenario is the most common, with 71% of hospital beds used by government-funded private care in 1993.

Reforms in Brazil's Private Health Care

Recent reforms in Brazil worked to take health care control down from the federal level and distribute it to states and local governments instead. This was largely successful throughout the late 1980s, but the government remained in control of public financing.

Private health care, financed by private sources, is also available in Brazil although it’s not affordable for a majority of citizens. The field of private care boomed in the 1980s when the public-funded system gained a reputation for inefficiency; providers felt they weren’t being reimbursed in a timely manner by the government, and this led to a loss of quality service that drove many people in search of private care. Approximately 20% of Brazilian citizens are using private health care. Private insurance, company health plans, and prepaid practice are all available within the private sector.