The users' perception of a health promotion and prevention program offer: a self-management operator case

• Published in: Physis (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) Brazil), 2011-01, Vol.21 (2), p.449-459
• Main Authors: Freitas, Paula de Souza Silva, Schwartz, Talita Dourado, Ribeiro, Carlos Dimas Martins, Franco, Tulio Batista, Maciel, Ethel Leonor Noia, Lima, Rita de Cassia Duarte
• Format: Article
• Language: Portuguese
• Subjects: Brazil; Freedom; Health; Health Care Services; Health Education; Health Insurance; Intervention; Prevention; Private Sector
• ISSN: 0103-7331
• DOI: 10.1590/s0103-73312011000200007

The coexistence of public and private health care systems in Brazil is old and their arrangements have contributed to the construction of a fragmented system. In seeking to establish policies in agreement with the Brazilian Unified Health System, the National Agency of Supplemental Health insurance has encouraged the development of programs for health promotion and disease prevention on the private sector. These actions are a heterogeneous set of strategies to consolidate policies aiming at the population's health. This is a qualitative study that analyzes these preventive programs in a private health insurance agency, to understand whether they produce bio-political devices. Speeches were collected from users of the programs through a semi-structured script using the technique of content analysis. The results show that some restructuring processes of care production are ongoing, and relational aspects have been targeted in these programs. These actions are configured in devices leading biopolitical forms of life. It is important to have balance between these powers and the production practices of freedom, noting that there is no arbitrary and authoritarian biopolitical interventions in the production of health actions. Adapted from the source document.