Series: Regulatory Agencies — ANS
Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2025 6:00 am
The enactment of the Federal Constitution, in addition to being a milestone for the establishment of a democratic regime, established fundamental rights for the entire society. Among them, health, which is intrinsically associated with the principle of dignity and protection of life. Being essential for the well-being of the population, in Brazil, health is guaranteed through the Unified Health System (SUS) and, although the existence of the institution is vital, the public sector does not have the capacity to serve all citizens with the necessary efficiency. For this reason, the National Supplementary Health Agency (ANS) has become an important pillar for the National Health System — indispensable for the State apparatus.
Although they first emerged in the 1960s — with the growth of the Brazilian economy and the advancement of formal employment, in which companies began to offer health insurance plans to their qatar mobile database employees — it was only in 1998, through Law 9,656 , that health insurance plans were regulated, with the implementation of guidelines and requirements aimed at improving the functioning of the sector. Since then, the segment has been growing.
In January 2020, the number of beneficiaries of health insurance plans in the country was 47,031,971, compared to 47,008,430 in 2019 — which represents 24.25% coverage for the Brazilian population. In total, Brazil has around 750 health insurance providers, 726 of which are active, operating 16,972 plans. Regarding exclusively dental plans, the number of current beneficiaries is 25,936,502, with a 13% coverage rate. All this growth emphasizes the need for regulation of the supplementary health sector — currently carried out by the National Supplementary Health Agency (ANS).
Supplementary health and ANS
In general, supplementary health can be understood as the economic activity that involves the operation of medical assistance plans and insurance, and has as one of its main objectives to guarantee citizens' access to health plans, as well as hospital care.
The Brazilian supplementary healthcare system is one of the largest in the world. According to a survey conducted by CNI , 70% of the coverage of the plans comes from corporate plans, with the industry being responsible for financing 22% of private healthcare plans — equivalent to 10.2 million beneficiaries. It is worth noting that although this is a private initiative, with the provision of services carried out through public law contracts or agreements, Brazilian beneficiaries who sign up for healthcare plans do not lose the right to use the SUS and receive care in the public sector.
In the regulatory context, the regulation of the sector's activity, with regard to the marketing of health plans by legal entities, that is, the so-called operators, is carried out by ANS — an autarchy under a special regime with financial, administrative and patrimonial autonomy, linked to the Ministry of Health.
The ANS is part of the Brazilian regulatory framework, along with other regulatory agencies , and was created in the 2000s, with Law 9.656/98, which regulates the activities of health and dental plan operators. In general, the entity is responsible for controlling, regulating and supervising activities related to private assistance and seeks to contribute to the development of actions in the health area in the country — enabling market competitiveness while aiming to balance the interests between consumers and health plan operators.
Although they first emerged in the 1960s — with the growth of the Brazilian economy and the advancement of formal employment, in which companies began to offer health insurance plans to their qatar mobile database employees — it was only in 1998, through Law 9,656 , that health insurance plans were regulated, with the implementation of guidelines and requirements aimed at improving the functioning of the sector. Since then, the segment has been growing.
In January 2020, the number of beneficiaries of health insurance plans in the country was 47,031,971, compared to 47,008,430 in 2019 — which represents 24.25% coverage for the Brazilian population. In total, Brazil has around 750 health insurance providers, 726 of which are active, operating 16,972 plans. Regarding exclusively dental plans, the number of current beneficiaries is 25,936,502, with a 13% coverage rate. All this growth emphasizes the need for regulation of the supplementary health sector — currently carried out by the National Supplementary Health Agency (ANS).
Supplementary health and ANS
In general, supplementary health can be understood as the economic activity that involves the operation of medical assistance plans and insurance, and has as one of its main objectives to guarantee citizens' access to health plans, as well as hospital care.
The Brazilian supplementary healthcare system is one of the largest in the world. According to a survey conducted by CNI , 70% of the coverage of the plans comes from corporate plans, with the industry being responsible for financing 22% of private healthcare plans — equivalent to 10.2 million beneficiaries. It is worth noting that although this is a private initiative, with the provision of services carried out through public law contracts or agreements, Brazilian beneficiaries who sign up for healthcare plans do not lose the right to use the SUS and receive care in the public sector.
In the regulatory context, the regulation of the sector's activity, with regard to the marketing of health plans by legal entities, that is, the so-called operators, is carried out by ANS — an autarchy under a special regime with financial, administrative and patrimonial autonomy, linked to the Ministry of Health.
The ANS is part of the Brazilian regulatory framework, along with other regulatory agencies , and was created in the 2000s, with Law 9.656/98, which regulates the activities of health and dental plan operators. In general, the entity is responsible for controlling, regulating and supervising activities related to private assistance and seeks to contribute to the development of actions in the health area in the country — enabling market competitiveness while aiming to balance the interests between consumers and health plan operators.