The current situation of the private health plans and insurance market in Brazil and trends for the future

This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian private health plan market over the period 2000-2006. The current situation is analyzed with respect to the profile of private insurance companies, health plans and beneficiaries and some possible trends that were identified in the study are emphasized. The increase of employer group-plans as a work-related benefit and the reduction of individual plans are discussed. Although the market is restricted to only a few companies, there are more people covered by local plans than by plans offering coverage on a national basis. Finally, the paper approaches aspects related to the financial resources, among them the governmental incentive for the health area, and points to the need of further studies for a better understanding of the supplementary healthcare market.