O projeto dos planos de saúde acessíveis: prejuízo para beneficiários e para o sistema público

O presente trabalho analisou, sob a perspectiva econômica da concretização do direito à saúde, o Projeto de Lei dos Planos de Saúde Acessíveis (PL n. 7.419/2006), apensado ao projeto geral de reforma da Lei n. 9.656/1998, desenvolvido pelo Ministério da Saúde em 2016 e atualmente em tramitação na Câmara dos Deputados. Para isso, os documentos oficiais da proposta foram analisados à luz de suas justificativas econômicas e da amplitude do acesso a serviços. As principais diretrizes do projeto, destacando-se os novos modelos de planos, evidenciam a criação de entraves burocráticos à realização de procedimentos, além da flexibilização do rol de cobertura dos planos de acordo com a infraestrutura local, em desacordo com a cobertura mínima prevista na regulação atual. A proposta favorece economicamente as operadoras de planos de saúde ao estabelecer a coparticipação de 50% e o reajuste conforme tabela de custos. Além disso, na prática, o projeto apresenta um duplo prejuízo: ao beneficiário, que arca com os custos do plano e, no momento de maior necessidade, de procedimentos de urgência ou de maior complexidade por não estar amparado pela cobertura; e ao sistema público, que deve suprir as deficiências da cobertura privada, o que, em um momento de maior demanda e recursos limitados, pode levá-lo à sobrecarga.The present work analyzed, from the economic perspective of the realization of the right to health, the Accessible Health Insurance Bill (PL No. 7,419/2006), attached to the general project of reform of Law No. 9,656/1998, developed by the Ministry of Health in 2016 and currently being processed in the Chamber of Deputies. For this, the official documents of the proposal were analyzed in light of its economic justifications and the scope of access to services. The main guidelines of the project, highlighting the new models of plans, show the creation of bureaucratic obstacles to the performance of procedures, in addition to the flexibility of the coverage list of the plans according to the local infrastructure, in disagreement with the minimum coverage in the current regulation. The proposal economically favors the health insurance companies by establishing the 50% coparticipation and adjustment according to the cost table. Moreover, in practice, the project presents a double loss: to the beneficiary, who bears plan costs and, at the moment of greatest need, emergency procedures or of greater complexity, because he is not protected by the coverage; and to the public system, which must supply the deficiencies of private coverage, which, at a time of greater demand and limited resources, can lead to overload

Size-dependent mortality in a Neotropical savanna tree: The role of height-related adjustments in hydraulic architecture and carbon allocation

Size-related changes in hydraulic architecture, carbon allocation and gas exchange of Sclerolobium paniculatum (Leguminosae), a dominant tree species in Neotropical savannas of central Brazil (Cerrado), were investigated to assess their potential role in the dieback of tall individuals. Trees greater than ∼6-m-tall exhibited more branch damage, larger numbers of dead individuals, higher wood density, greater leaf mass per area, lower leaf area to sapwood area ratio (LA/SA), lower stomatal conductance and lower net CO2 assimilation than small trees. Stem-specific hydraulic conductivity decreased, while leaf-specific hydraulic conductivity remained nearly constant, with increasing tree size because of lower LA/SA in larger trees. Leaves were substantially more vulnerable to embolism than stems. Large trees had lower maximum leaf hydraulic conductance (Kleaf) than small trees and all tree sizes exhibited lower Kleaf at midday than at dawn. These size-related adjustments in hydraulic architecture and carbon allocation apparently incurred a large physiological cost: large trees received a lower return in carbon gain from their investment in stem and leaf biomass compared with small trees. Additionally, large trees may experience more severe water deficits in dry years due to lower capacity for buffering the effects of hydraulic path-length and soil water deficits.Fil: Zhang, Yong Jiang. University of Miami; Estados Unidos. Chinese Academy of Sciences; ChinaFil: Meinzer, Frederick C.. USDA Forest Service. Forestry Sciences Laboratory; Estados UnidosFil: Hao, Guang-You. Chinese Academy of Sciences; China. University of Miami; Estados UnidosFil: Scholz, Fabian Gustavo. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Nacional Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: Bucci, Sandra Janet. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Nacional Patagónico; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco"; ArgentinaFil: Takahashi, Frederico S. C.. Universidade do Brasília; BrasilFil: Villalobos Vega, Randol. University of Miami; Estados UnidosFil: Giraldo, Juan P.. Harvard University; Estados UnidosFil: Cao, Kun Fang. Chinese Academy of Sciences; ChinaFil: Hoffmann, William A.. North Carolina State University; Estados UnidosFil: Goldstein, Guillermo Hernan. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Nacional Patagónico; Argentina. University of Miami; Estados Unido

Mídia e política no Brasil: textos e agenda de pesquisa Midia and politics in Brazil: texts and research agenda

Um especialista em estudos de comunicação e um cientista político apresentam conjuntamente um panorama da pesquisa sobre as relações entre os meios de comunicação e os processos políticos no Brasil. Uma agenda de pesquisa é proposta e um elenco de textos nessa área é apresentado.<br>A specialist in communication studies and a political scientist present together a panorama of research on the relations between communication midia and political processes in Brazil A research agenda is proposed and a list of texts in this area is presented