Brasília – Wadih Damous, the newly appointed head of Brazil’s National Agency of Supplementary Health (ANS), emphasized his commitment to safeguarding consumer rights while maintaining financial viability for health plan operators.

Drawing on his experience as former director of Senacon (National Consumer Secretariat), he said his approach will prioritize preventive action over reactive measures. He stressed that consumers — often the weaker party in health plan contracts — must receive timely and appropriate care.

Damous stated that he intends to integrate the private health insurance sector more closely with the SUS, and support the “Agora Tem Especialistas” program by facilitating debt swaps: operators providing services to SUS users might exchange debt burdens for service provision.

On updating the mandatory benefits list (Rol de Procedimentos), he reaffirmed ANS’s role in incorporations grounded in evidence, and noted that the process is structured to ensure timelines (180 days for most updates, shorter for oncology) and stakeholder participation.

He acknowledged challenges posed by an aging population and rising costs, emphasizing that no consumer can be denied entry into an active health plan due to age or preexisting conditions — a protection rooted in the law of health plans.

Source: Correio Braziliense

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