Beneficiaries of private health plans that used the public outpatient hemodialysis network in Brazil between 2012 and 2019

Abstract

Reimbursement to Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS) is the most visible interface of the public-private relationship and its analysis can expand our understanding of the use of SUS by the supplementary sector. The study aims to characterize the beneficiaries of private health plans who underwent hemodialysis in the SUS, from 2012 to 2019, in relation to: gender, age group, region of residence, characteristics of the private health plans and the operators and of the care provided to them. The characteristics of the private health plans and the modality of the operators of the beneficiaries where then compared with data of the other beneficiaries in Brazil. An individual-centered database was constructed based on data from the Brazilian National Supplementary Health Agency (ANS); information on beneficiaries in Brazil was consulted in Brazilian Health Informatics Department (DATASUS). Frequency distributions were used to summarize the data, standardization by age and sex for characteristics of the private health plans and modality of the operators and ratio to compare frequencies. A total of 31,941 beneficiaries underwent hemodialysis in the SUS, 11,147 (34.9%) outside their municipality of residence, and 6,423 (20.11%) used the SUS for 25 months or more. When compared with other beneficiaries in Brazil, those who underwent hemodialysis in the SUS were more frequently linked to old private health plans (ratio, r = 2.41), collective by adherence (r = 1.76), individual/family (r = 1.36), outpatient (r = 4.66), municipal (r = 3.88), and/or philanthropic (r = 7.32). Private health plans with restrictive characteristics may have hindered the access of beneficiaries who performed hemodialysis in SUS to the networks of their operators and have represented one more among the factors that may have influenced the use of SUS by those beneficiaries, even with coverage provided for in their contracts.