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by Leonardo Baumgratz[1] and Isadora Royer[2]
The Brazilian Government has recently ratified Law 14.510/2022, which authorizes and regulates Telehealth, also known as Remote Healthcare. This law, sanctioned on December 27, 2022, establishes the parameters and provides the legal foundation for the use of telehealth in all regulated health professions, including medicine, nursing, physical therapy, and dentistry.
Telehealth, which was recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the early 1990s and has been adopted by several countries as part of their healthcare systems, saw an increase in its popularity in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic as a manner of maintaining social distancing while still providing continued medical care. Furthermore, during the sanitary crisis, remote healthcare has proven to be a highly effective and beneficial alternative for both patients and healthcare professionals, allowing for an increase in the number of patients, as well as in underserved areas, while preserving the quality of care.
Under the new legislation, healthcare professionals and patients can decide whether a service can be conducted via teleconsultation. The law allows for teleconsultations to be undertaken for both first consultations and follow-up visits, as well as for specific procedures. However, the patient is entitled to refuse a teleconsultation and request to be seen in person. In addition, the regulation allows healthcare professionals to act remotely throughout the country, dismissing the need for additional registrations with regional professional councils in other jurisdictions.
Despite the delay in regulating telehealth practices, this does not indicate that Brazil has a poorly developed health sector. Much on the contrary, the Brazilian healthcare market is the largest in Latin America and offers one of the best medical services globally. Moreover, Brazil is the only country in the world with a population of over 100 million and a universal healthcare system – the primary provider of health services – for at least 70% of the population. Furthermore, according to recent projections, health spending in Brazil will increase to 12.6% of the gross domestic product by 2040, compared to 9.1% in 2021 — a strong commitment to investing in quality health services.
In addition to the public healthcare system, private healthcare is also in high demand in Brazil. This sector provides faster and more advanced services, catering to those willing to pay for added convenience and comfort.
The public and private sectors are significant buyers of healthcare products from abroad due to the country’s limited domestic production capacity and the need to stay updated with new technologies and equipment. This dependence on foreign suppliers is evident because nearly 70% of medical devices are imported into the country.
The Brazilian healthcare sector is also moving towards increased digitalization, and the regularization of remote healthcare illustrates part of this shift. The growth in the adoption of telehealth is expected to not only lead to an increase in the number of medical consultations but also drive further technological development in the sector. These advances are also in line with the Brazilian National Digital Health Strategy for 2028 (ESD28), which aims to guide and align public and private projects that could enhance the transformative power of digital health in the country. Therefore, it presents fresh opportunities for companies interested in exporting digital health technologies to Brazil.
There will be an increasing demand for technologies that enable remote consultations and facilitate care delivery, such as telemedicine equipment, monitoring systems, medical device, and software for managing patient records and scheduling appointments. Companies that offer innovative and high-quality products in these areas may find success when entering Brazil.
If you are interested in exporting to Brazil but don’t know where to start, contact one of our market access advisors at ad@sideraconsult.com. Click here to access the regulation mentioned above.
Want to know more? These are some links about this topic:
https://www.camara.leg.br/noticias/928169-camara-aprova-projeto-que-regulamenta-telessaude/
http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/_ato2019-2022/2022/lei/L14510.htm
https://bvsms.saude.gov.br/bvs/publicacoes/strategy_health_digital_brazilian.pdf
https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/brazil-healthcare
https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/146d0dea-en/index.html?itemId=/content/publication/146d0dea-en
[1] Leonardo Baumgratz is a Jr. Market Access Expert at Sidera Consult. He graduated in Foreign Trade and is currently pursuing an MBA in International Relations and Diplomacy.
[2] Isadora Royer is a Market Access Intern at Sidera Consult. She holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the University of Coimbra.