In a debate session held, this Tuesday (23), on the bill that deals with the obligation of health plans to cover treatments that are not provided for by the National Health Agency (ANS), senators confirmed their support for the proposal that enables greater coverage of treatments for patients with diseases that need specialized and specific care for each case.
Right at the opening of the session, the author of the request for the debate, the president of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSB/MG), highlighted the complexity of the discussion as it involves rights and regulation of economic activity in the health insurance sector.
“The topic is a burning issue of Brazilian public debate. It opposes two values dear to the legal system. First, we have the right to health, a universal right provided for in art. 196 of the Constitution. Second, we have the numerous provisions that defend free enterprise and efficient regulation of the economic activity of the private sector, which is the provider of supplementary health services”, said the president of the Senate.
For associations linked to patients who use drugs and procedures not yet included in the list, the adoption of the exhaustive list means leaving patients without treatment.
The director of the Mothers of the Movement for Autism, Letícia Amaral argued that the project ensures the incorporation of proven effective treatments and medications. She also pointed out that the exhaustive list ends up limiting access to medicines and defended the approval of the text that came from the Chamber without changes.
“The norm cannot be so specific in detail, especially when the law is aimed at a dynamic situation. We’re talking about health. Health science is changing at a fast pace, but who has to say will not be the legislator, but the scientific community. The text leaves no room for quackery. It just gives patients the right to fight for their lives. The PL is not a carte blanche for any drug. The taxing role kills”, said Letícia Amaral.
Senator Romário, rapporteur of the project, stated that the opinion will be favorable to the text already approved by the Chamber of Deputies. The expectation, according to Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco, is that the bill will be voted on on August 29, next Monday.
“We cannot deny these people the right to a dignified existence with less suffering. Many Brazilians pay dearly for health plans to guarantee the best treatment for their families,” said Romário.
The Minister of Health, Marcelo Queiroga, and representatives of the ANS warned of the risk of the new law threatening the “sustainability” of companies that operate health plans.
“We have a Unified Health System, the private sector participates by supplementing it; they are not two systems, they communicate, right? And the best way to guarantee access – because we all want access, we want more access – is to have health systems that are sustainable,” said Queiroga.
Queiroga also stated that he supported a broader role for the ANS, but that he also needed to think about the issue of supplementary health.
“For me it was much easier to get here and defend an exemplary and broad role, but it is up to the Minister of Health to alert Messrs. Senators, who will analyze this proposal, on what are the most appropriate ways to provide health not only as a right for all and a duty of the State, but also within the scope of private health plans.”
Vera Valente, Executive Director of the National Federation of Supplementary Health (FenaSaúde) defended the approval of the procedures included in the list by the scientific and medical society.
“This is precisely why we make an appeal: ensure that the two conditions set out in Bill 2033 are compulsorily met. First, proof of effectiveness in the light of scientific evidence and — and also — approval by Conitec or an international reference agency in technology assessment, such as England, Canada or Australia, and for products that its own citizens use them”, added the director.
The president of the Brazilian Association of Health Plans (Abramge), Renato Freire Casarotti, made a speech that there is no longer a debate on the types of roles, that is, there is nothing more to do at this point, but it is necessary to discuss the criteria in the legislation.
“The debate here is no longer about an exemplary or exhaustive role. This debate no longer exists, it is over. What we are discussing here (…) are the criteria for including therapies that are out of the list. The discussion is this; it is no longer between a taxing and exemplifying role. This one died, this one was left behind. And it is important to discuss these criteria, I think it is fundamental”, said Casarotti.
Source: CNN Brasil
