Abstract

FARIAS, Luís Otávio  and  MELAMED, Clarice. Market shares in the Brazilian health sector. Ciênc. saúde coletiva [online]. 2003, vol.8, n.2, pp. 585-598. ISSN 1413-8123.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1413-81232003000200019.

The current paper presents in its first part a theoretical framework for analyzing the main market failures in the health sector followed by a general evaluation of the private health sector in OCDE countries and a comparative approach to the Brazilian case. In the second part, there is a brief historical of the private health sector in Brazil since the seventies and also some inferences are drawn from Pnad - IBGE data that allow a picture of private insurance consumers.

Keywords : Private insurance plans; Supplemental health; Market failures; Health supply and demand.