The demographic impact and its differentials by gender on the health care costs of supplementary health in Brazil

Abstract

Background

The consequences of the Demographic Transition process affect the demand for health, including the private health sector.

Objective

To examine the consequences of population aging and the longevity gains, gender differentials, in the healthcare costs of healthcare operators. Data from The National Regulatory Agency for Private Health Insurance and Plans (Agência Nacional de Saúde Suplementar (ANS)) and the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE)) were used for this purpose.

Method

The standardization model has been used between 2016 and 2045, varying only the population age structure.

Results

The results indicate that the population aging process is more accentuated for the female population and more intense among the beneficiaries of individual/family plans compared to collective plans. The hospitalization and complementary examinations showed the highest absolute monetary values between care items, for both types of plans, in all years analyzed. The findings of the impacts of longevity, the expected costs for the users of the last age group will be higher for hospitalizations, especially among women and with individual / family plans.

Conclusion

Population aging and increased longevity, especially for women, will impact the costs of health plans, with greater intensity for individual / family members. Supplementary health needs to prepare for the demographic challenges imposed by future costs by pursuing policies that can minimize them.

Keywords:
population dynamics; supplemental health; population forecast; Brazil