The Ministry of Health reduces the amount paid for cardiovascular operations in SUS

Brazil – The Ministry of Health has issued a decree to change the payments for procedures, medicines, orthotics, prosthetics, and special items for the Unified Health System (SUS). Among the procedures affected are pacemakers and coronary artery stents.

The decree was published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOU) on Tuesday and states that reducing investment is an “improvement of public resources”. Altogether, the decree provides for “reducing resources in the amount of R$292,653,490.61, which will be deducted from the annual financial limit of medium and high complexity for states, the Federal District and Municipalities, to be applied in specialized care policies,” says an excerpt from the document.

The investment value of multi-site defibrillators increased from R$15,720.16 to R$8,318.18, a decrease of 47%. Coronary artery stent increased from R$2,034.50 to R$341.17, which represents a decrease of 83%. The decree has financial implications from the first installment of 2022.

In a statement, the Brazilian Alliance for the Innovative Health Industry (ABIIS) announced that “With this change, the government will take about R$300 million from SUS and seriously overburden medical device suppliers.”

To GLOBO, ABIIS CEO José Márcio Cerqueira Gomes said the decree was a “surprise” and that the sector “was not consulted about the measure”.

– It was a shock, especially since the reduced values ​​are the result of actions in the field of expertise of the Minister (Marcelo Quiroga, cardiologist). We don’t know where these values ​​came from. For example, the investment of the coronary stent will now be R$ 341 and we do not know what prompted this reduction, and what is the basis of the Ministry for determining this value – he stated.

Jose Marcio explained that the amount transferred by SUS helps fund the entire procedure and not just the purchase of materials.

– The amount transferred from the ministry is not only for the device itself, but for the procedure as a whole. It’s to fund hospital, supplies, and professionals. Some hospitals will regret this law. I don’t know how charitable hospitals are going to do that.

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The Executive Director of ABIIS also noted that cardiovascular procedures should be done in the short term, as they usually have a certain medical urgency.

According to ABIIS, in Brazil, about 400,000 people die every year from cardiovascular diseases, which is 30% of all deaths in the country. José Marcio also explained that ABIIS is preparing to send an opinion to the Ministry of Health and attempt a dialogue with Minister Marcelo Quiroga.

GLOBO has sought the Ministry of Health on the matter, but the ministry has not yet commented on the decree.