Unimed Cuiabá ordered to pay damages after denying cancer medication

Unimed Cuiabá has been ordered to pay R$ 10,000 in moral damages following the death of a patient with aggressive brain cancer. The ruling, issued by Judge Ana Paula da Veiga Carlota Miranda of the 3rd Civil Court of Cuiabá, comes after the health cooperative twice denied coverage for Bevacizumabe (Avastin), a medication prescribed to treat the patient's glioblastoma.

The cooperative had argued that the treatment was experimental because it was not listed in the National Supplementary Health Agency (ANS) coverage list or the drug's specific label for that condition. However, the judge ruled the denial abusive, noting that the medication is registered with Anvisa and that the choice of treatment rests with the attending specialist.

The patient passed away in January 2026 while the legal proceedings were ongoing. The lawsuit continued through her estate, represented by her husband. The court emphasized that clinical effectiveness cannot be required as an absolute certainty to deny a patient the right to exhaust scientifically supported therapeutic alternatives indicated by their physician.