ABSTRACT
The Brazilian healthcare system is controlled by the Ministry of Health that holds responsibility for public health policy and oversight of the public and private health provider network, including broad powers of control of healthcare and the drug industry. The market is developing as a two-tier market with fairly basic universal healthcare coverage through the Sistema nico de Sade (SUS) and a growing supplementary private insurance market, organized under the Agncia National de Sade Suplementar (ANS). Comisin National para la Incorporacin de Tecnologas en el SUS (CONITEC) was tasked to assist SUS on coverage decision making through health technology assessment. Rapid growth of the private health insurance section and public pressure to improve universal healthcare coverage in Brazil make for an interesting situation, which is not atypical given the growth stage of the country. The Brazilian government has pursued establishing public/private partnership agreements for the manufacture of biotechnology drugs and other health technologies.
