Brazilians adjust their budget to afford private health insurance

A survey carried out by the National Association of Benefit Administrators (Anab) shows that 47 percent of the respondents had to adapt their personal budget in 2021 in order to be able to afford their private health insurance. Over a thousand people across the country participated in the interview which revealed that 83 percent are afraid of not being able to pay for their insurance.

The survey was carried out in April by telephone with 1,012 people aged over 16, who are responsible for the main decisions in the household.

“The fear of losing access [to the private health insurance] may be motivated by the increase in unemployment rates during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Anab´s president and creator of the study Alessandro Acayaba de Toledo said.

Portability is one of the ways out for those who need to reduce the cost of their health insurance. “It is the beneficiary’s right. The interest in portability has increased by 12.5 percent, the Brazilian National Health Agency ANS noted. In some cases, it was possible to reduce health costs by 40 percent,” Toledo explained.

Among those who do not have health insurance, 83 percent considered it necessary, and 68 percent of the respondents who are exclusive users of Brazil’s national public health care system SUS needed some type of medical care in 2021, but they reported difficulty in accessing it, the survey reads.

88 percent said the need for medical care has remained the same or increased during the pandemic. The survey also showed that one in four respondents said they needed to seek more medical help after the COVID-19 pandemic had started.