The cost of the Family Health Program in Porto Alegre - 1998 and 2002

Abstract

This study aims at a broader understanding of the functioning of the health system from the perspective of economics, utilizing the tools made available by this area for evaluating an important public policy proposed by the Brazilian federal government: the Family Health Program. This first approach consists in a case study conducted in the city of Porto Alegre during the period 1998-2002. The purpose of this study was creating an instrument for the cost management of the program allowing for monitoring and redirecting actions when necessary. An extensive review of the literature was carried out and data about the work processes, the organizational structure of the secretariat in charge and cost and production of the program were collected for constructing the cost management instrument. The study showed no important variation in the total cost of the program during the period but considerable variations in some specific cost categories. Furthermore it was shown that different health units involve different costs related to the size of the team or to the target population.