Piauí judge orders Humana Saúde to perform urgent surgery on child

A judge in Piauí has ordered the health insurance provider Humana Saúde to perform surgery on a seven-year-old child within two days. The patient is suffering from the progressive loss of function in one kidney.

The ruling follows a public civil action brought by the Public Ministry of Piauí due to delays in the procedure. Although the insurer authorized treatment in August, the surgery was not scheduled until November. The insurer cited a lack of available beds at Hospital Santa Maria as the reason for the delay.

Judge Lara Kaline Siqueira Furtado ruled that such justifications violate National Supplementary Health Agency (ANS) regulations, which set a 21-business-day limit for surgical procedures. The court noted that infrastructure shortages or hospital capacity issues are internal business risks that cannot be transferred to the consumer.