Brazil health system grapples with unpaid surgery contracts and exam scheduling violations

Former Acre health secretary Pedro Pascoal said the state government has only partially paid GoiásMed Serviços Médicos for elective orthopaedic and trauma surgeries, leaving outstanding balances for prosthetic materials and special equipment. Pascoal disputed the administration's claim that the debt had been fully settled, noting an inherited liability of 168 million reais and ongoing financial strain on the public health system.

In Goiânia, journalist Heloisa Rodrigues de Lima reported that Unimed failed to schedule a required anorectal manometry exam within the 10‑business‑day limit set by the Agência Nacional de Saúde Suplementar (ANS). After the initial appointment was cancelled and a later date exceeded the regulatory deadline, she filed a complaint on Reclame Aqui and eventually secured a new appointment on July 23. The case highlights reduced provider networks and possible systemic delays in private health plan services.