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Healthcare in Brazil: cost & waiting times

Tax-funded universal

The SUS provides free universal care to everyone on Brazilian soil, including foreigners — funded by taxes. A large private sector ('saúde suplementar', ~25% of people) offers faster elective and specialist access.

Emergency number: 192 (ambulance) / 190 (police)

How residents get care

1. Public: go to a UBS (basic health unit) — Register with the unit for your address; get a 'Cartão SUS'. The family-health team refers you onward.
2. Urgent public care: UPA or 'pronto-socorro' — 24-hour urgent-care units; SAMU (192) for ambulances.
3. Private: book directly or via your plan — Health-plan members book specialists directly within the plan's network; self-payers can book private consultations cheaply.

Official waiting-time source

Public elective procedures and specialist slots can involve long regulated queues (SISREG). Private plan members wait far less.

No unified national register; SISREG queues are managed locally ↗

Milestone	Reference
Public specialist appointment (variable)	60 days (~9w)
Public elective surgery (variable)	180 days (~26w)

Typical private costs

Typical self-pay prices — for an exact figure use the official links above or ask a clinic for a written quote.

Item	Typical range
Private GP consultation	R$30–R$90
Private specialist consultation	R$40–R$120
Private MRI	R$80–R$250
Private hospital day	R$250–R$800

Prescriptions

'Farmácia Popular' provides key medicines (hypertension, diabetes, asthma and more) free or heavily subsidised. Antibiotics need a retained prescription.

Visiting Brazil?

SUS emergency and necessary care is free to everyone, including tourists — but public units may be crowded and Portuguese-only.

Official links

• gov.br/saude — Conecte SUS ↗
• ANS — check a private health plan ↗

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