[Private health plans and the health of workers in Brazil]

The scope of this paper was to compare the changes in coverage patterns by health insurance plans among public servants, the military and other employees in Brazil and verify if the purchase of such health plans is reflected in the respective self-reported prevalence of Systemic Arterial Hypertension (SAH) and Diabetes Mellitus (DM) in the country. For this purpose, workers in the public sector (federal, state, municipal or military) and other workers aged ≥18 who were included in the 1998, 2003 and 2008 campaigns of the National Household Sample Survey (PNAD) and in the 2013 National Survey were studied. Over the years of the study, it was observed that Brazil's public service employees, both civilian and military, have presented a high and increasing proportion of health insurance purchase compared to other workers. The prevalence of SAH and DM has always been higher among employees with health insurance. The special status of public servants and the military as regards the double access to both public and private healthcare systems is reflected in the increasing self-reported prevalence of SAH and DM, increasing health inequities in a public health system that was constituted in a universal and equitable way.