News and press

The growth of the post-acute care hospital and clinic sector was covered by the press. Data gathered by ABRAHCT show that, over the previous five years, there was a 101.6% increase in the number of beds dedicated to this type of care. That survey counted 2,745 beds, against 1,361 in 2018. The expectation was that this figure would continue to rise, reaching almost 3,300 beds in the following years. ABRAHCT represents 72% of the post-acute care hospitals in the market and continues with its strategy of strengthening the sector.

Fraud involving health plan reimbursements multiplied and grew more sophisticated after the pandemic, becoming a matter for the police. The practices vary, using inflated receipts, declaring cosmetic treatments as medical procedures, and even setting up front clinics purely to certify services that never happened.

This has worried health operators and caused a major financial impact, with losses estimated at more than R$ 11.5 billion. The best-known form of fraud is so-called assisted reimbursement, in which a clinic offers to speed up the release of refunds if the customer hands over their health plan login and password, and ends up charging for procedures that were not performed or inflating amounts.

Between 2019 and 2022, the amount of reimbursements granted by health plans rose by more than 81%, from around R$ 6 billion to R$ 10.9 billion. Over the same period, companies' total expenditure on their beneficiaries increased by 19.5%, from R$ 172.8 billion to R$ 206.5 billion.

ABRAHCT supports any and every initiative aimed at curbing this fraud, alerting its members to the risks and impacts. “Reimbursement claims have taken on a huge scale and the fraud is increasingly sophisticated. We at ABRAHCT are extremely concerned about this and entirely in solidarity with health operators and policyholders in this anti-fraud movement,” stresses Frederico Berardo, president of the association.

The change of name and identity reflects the institution's new positioning.