Brazilian private health insurers have been under scrutiny lately after reports emerged that companies have been canceling insurance contracts for patients with chronic conditions. Lawmakers from both the left and right are calling for a select committee to investigate these practices, as Congresswoman Maria Rosas, a member of the Republican party, has criticized the federal private health regulator ANS during a House public hearing this week. She noted that insurers have openly admitted to canceling plans for financial reasons, which is against the law.
Currently, insurers are only allowed to cancel individual contracts in cases of fraud or default while collective contracts can only be revoked by the employer or with prior notice. This has led to thousands of contract cancellations in recent months. In response, lawmakers have called for hearings to investigate the situation further, but Speaker Arthur Lira has not yet taken action on the motion despite having support from over 60 percent of the House.
Congresswoman Rosas was supported in her efforts by São Paulo state lawmaker Andréa Werner, a member of the center-left Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB). Werner criticized health insurers for deciding that some patients were no longer of interest to them and called for increased oversight and accountability within the industry. This growing concern over private health insurer practices has sparked widespread calls for change within Brazil’s healthcare system.
