BNDES Saúde is aimed at institutions, such as Santas Casas, that serve the SUS. The credit term can reach 18 years for Investments modernization or expansion of units.

In ceremony with the president Jair Bolsonaro, the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) and the Ministry of Health launched a financing line of R$ 1 billion for non-profit philanthropic health institutions serving the Unified Health System (SUS).

O Launch of the new “BNDES Saúde” took place at Palácio do Planalto. The new Program improves an old bank action aimed at the hospital sector, which was in force until September 2018.

O Program has the intention, according to the bank, of “improving the management of philanthropic health entities”, which account for half of SUS services. The action will have two subprograms to:

• improvements in management, governance and operational efficiency
• implementation, expansion and modernization of institutions

According to BNDES, financing for Program It can be done directly, indirectly (through financial agents) or mixed, with part of the resources released by the public bank and the other by the onlending bank.

Interest and deadlines

The final interest rate of the Program will be calculated based on the TLP plus 1.3% and risk spread in the case of direct operations. The maximum period of Credit Operation can reach 18 years in support of Investments modernization or expansion of units.

The Minister of Health, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, highlighted that the interest rate will not reach 9% per year, while, according to him, the market charges rates of 20% to 22% for the sector.

According to the federal government, in 2018, philanthropic hospitals provided almost 129 thousand beds in the SUS, a number that represents 37.6% of the total beds available in the country.

Service quality

The bank's expectation is that the Program improve the “quality of service provided to the population with a reduction in the time of care and the hospital mortality rate”. The indicators will be monitored to allow an assessment of the effectiveness of the Program.

The hospital network currently has 2,147 philanthropic entities that provide services to the SUS. The entities serve 1,308 municipalities in all regions of the country.

According to BNDES, entities that obtain financing will be able to use resources to restructure debts with banks and suppliers. In the subprogram, aimed at improving management, hospitals will have to present a diagnosis of their situation and an action plan prepared by an independent company or institution.

BNDES informed that financing disbursements will be in installments and conditioned on meeting the goals set in the action plan.