Médicos e terceirização: percepções de trabalhadores e gestores sobre as transformações recentes no mercado de trabalho / Doctors and outsourcing: perceptions of workers and managers on recent transformations in the labor market / Médicos y tercerización: percepciones de trabajadores y directivos sobre los cambios recientes en el mercado laboral

Resumo O artigo examina as tendências recentes da forma de inserção dos médicos no mercado de trabalho à luz da regulação das relações trabalhistas na percepção de informantes-chave que atuam nos setores público e privado do sistema de saúde no estado de São Paulo. O estudo mostrou que, na percepção dos entrevistados, há uma tendência crescente de inserção de médicos como pessoa jurídica condicionada pela regulação das relações de trabalho e pela política de contratação dos estabelecimentos provedores de serviços de assistência à saúde. Em geral, a 'pejotização' de médicos foi associada à perda de autonomia desses profissionais em relação aos termos de contratação e às condições de realização do trabalho. O artigo conclui que a inserção 'pejotizada' de médicos se apresenta como parte do movimento mais geral de barateamento da força de trabalho associado à terceirização, e indica que há espaço para a exploração de políticas voltadas à gestão de trabalhadores que busquem atrair e fixar médicos no Sistema Único de Saúde.

Abstract The article examines recent trends in the way doctors enter the labor market in the light of the regulation of labor relations in the perception of key informants who work in the public and private sectors of the health system in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The study showed that, in the perception of the interviewees, there is a growing trend of insertion of doctors as a legal entity conditioned by the regulation of labor relations and the contracting policy of establishments providing health care services. In general, the 'pejotização' (hiring free of labor rights/illegal hiring) of doctors was associated with the loss of autonomy of these professionals in relation to the terms of employment and the conditions for performing the work. The article concludes that the illegal hiring and insertion of doctors is presented as part of the more general movement of cheapening the workforce associated with outsourcing, and indicates that there is room for the exploitation of policies aimed at the management of workers who seek to attract and fix doctors in the Unified Health System.

Resumen El artículo examina las tendencias recientes acerca de como se dá la inserción de los médicos en el mercado de trabajo, a la luz de la regulación de las relaciones laborales, en la percepción de informantes clave que actúan en los sectores público y privado del sistema de salud del estado de São Paulo, Brasil. El estudio mostró que, en la percepción de los entrevistados, existe una tendencia creciente hacia la inclusión de los médicos como persona jurídica condicionada por la regulación de las relaciones laborales y por la política de contratación de los establecimientos que prestan servicios de asistencia a la salud. En general, la 'pejotización' de los médicos estuvo asociada a la pérdida de autonomía de estos profesionales en relación a los términos de contratación y a las condiciones de ejercicio del trabajo. El artículo concluye que la inserción 'pejotizada' de los médicos se presenta como parte del movimiento más general de abaratamiento de la mano de obra asociado a la tercerización, e indica que hay espacio para la exploración de políticas dirigidas a la gestión de trabajadores que busquen atraer y retener a los médicos en el Sistema Único de Salud.

How the 'plates' of a health system can shift, change and adjust during economic recessions: A qualitative interview study of public and private health providers in Brazil's São Paulo and Maranhão states.

BACKGROUND: Economic recessions carry an impact on population health and access to care; less is known on how health systems adapt to the conditions brought by a downturn. This particularly matters now that the COVID-19 epidemic is putting health systems under stress. Brazil is one of the world's most affected countries, and its health system was already experiencing the aftermath of the 2015 recession. METHODS: Between 2018 and 2019 we conducted 46 semi-structured interviews with health practitioners, managers and policy-makers to explore the impact of the 2015 recession on public and private providers in prosperous (São Paulo) and impoverished (Maranhão) states in Brazil. Thematic analysis was employed to identify drivers and consequences of system adaptation and coping strategies. Nvivo software was used to aid data collection and analysis. We followed the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research to provide an account of the findings. RESULTS: We found the concept of 'health sector crisis' to be politically charged among healthcare providers in São Paulo and Maranhão. Contrary to expectations, the public sector was reported to have found ways to compensate for diminishing federal funding, having outsourced services and adopted flexible-if insecure-working arrangements. Following a drop in employment and health plans, private health insurance companies have streamlined their offer, at times at the expenses of coverage. Low-cost walk-in clinics were hit hard by the recession, but were also credited for having moved to cater for higher-income customers in Maranhão. CONCLUSIONS: The 'plates' of a health system may shift and adjust in unexpected ways in response to recessions, and some of these changes might outlast the crisis. As low-income countries enter post-COVID economic recessions, it will be important to monitor the adjustments taking place in health systems, to ensure that past gains in access to care and job security are not eroded.

The differential impact of economic recessions on health systems in middle-income settings: a comparative case study of unequal states in Brazil.

Introduction: Although economic crises are common in low/middle-income countries (LMICs), the evidence of their impact on health systems is still scant. We conducted a comparative case study of Maranhão and São Paulo, two unevenly developed states in Brazil, to explore the health financing and system performance changes brought in by its 2014-2015 economic recession. Methods: Drawing from economic and health system research literature, we designed a conceptual framework exploring the links between macroeconomic factors, labour markets, demand and supply of health services and system performance. We used data from the National Health Accounts and National Household Sample Survey to examine changes in Brazil's health spending over the 2010-2018 period. Data from the National Agency of Supplementary Health database and the public health budget information system were employed to compare and contrast health financing and system performance of São Paulo and Maranhão. Results: Our analysis shows that Brazil's macroeconomic conditions deteriorated across the board after 2015-2016, with São Paulo's economy experiencing a wider setback than Maranhão's. We showed how public health expenditures flattened, while private health insurance expenditures increased due to the recession. Public financing patterns differed across the two states, as health funding in Maranhão continued to grow after the crisis years, as it was propped up by transfers to local governments. While public sector staff and beds per capita in Maranhão were not affected by the crisis, a decrease in public physicians was observed in São Paulo. Conclusion: Our case study suggests that in a complex heterogeneous system, economic recessions reverberate unequally across its parts, as the effects are mediated by private spending, structure of the market and adjustments in public financing. Policies aimed at mitigating the effects of recessions in LMICs will need to take such differences into account.