Washington's privatization of liquor: effects on household alcohol purchases from Initiative 1183.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Washington Initiative 1183 (I-1183), a 2012 law that privatized liquor retail sales and distribution in Washington State, USA, has had two opposing effects on liquor purchases: it has increased access to liquor and imposed new fees on retailers and distributors. This study aimed to estimate the effect of I-1183 on monthly alcohol purchases during the post-I-1183 period (June 2012-December 2014) compared with the pre-I-1183 period (January 2010-May 2012). DESIGN: DIFFERENCES-IN-DIFFERENCES STUDY: Setting and participants The study included households participating in the Nielsen Consumer Panel Dataset living in metropolitan and surrounding areas in Washington State and 10 control states. Measurements Outcomes were alcohol purchases by type (ounces of liquor, wine, beer and total alcohol or ethanol). Findings I-1183 was associated with a 6.34-ounce (P < 0.001) and a 2.01-ounce (P < 0.001) increase in monthly liquor and ethanol purchases, respectively, per household in the post-policy period spanning 31 months compared with monthly purchases in control states. In a longitudinal subgroup analysis, low and moderate alcohol purchasers increased monthly purchases of ethanol and high purchasers decreased purchases of ethanol. Conclusions Enacting 'Washington Initiative 1183', a law that privatized sale and distribution of liquor and imposed new fees on retailers and distributors, appears to have been associated with an approximate 82% increase in monthly liquor purchases and 26% increase in monthly ethanol purchases by households in metropolitan and surrounding areas in Washington State, USA.

Price Changes in Washington Following the 2012 Liquor Privatization: An Update Through 2016 With Comparisons to California, Idaho, and Oregon.

BACKGROUND: Washington State ended their wholesale and retail monopoly on liquor on June 1, 2012, resulting in a 5-fold increase in liquor outlets in diverse store types. The legislation also included taxes at the wholesale and retail levels. This study seeks to investigate whether prices have changed from 2014 through 2016, as a follow-up to a previous study finding increases in prices from 2012 to 2014, compared to prices in other states. METHODS: We developed an index of 68 brands that were popular in Washington in early 2012. Data on final liquor prices (including taxes) in Washington and California were obtained through store visits and online sources between November 2013 and March 2014, and again between April and May 2016 for Washington only. Pricing data for Idaho and Oregon were obtained from the Statistics for Alcohol Management Database over both sampling periods. Primary analyses were conducted on the utmost brands available in the majority of the stores sampled. RESULTS: Liquor prices in Washington rose an average of 3.9% for 750 ml and 6.5% for 1.75-l containers overall from 2014 to 2016, while bordering states Idaho (+2.9%) and Oregon (+1.5%) experienced smaller increases for 750-ml and declines for 1.75-l containers (Idaho: -2.9%, Oregon: -4.9%). In the analyses of spirits prices in Washington compared to California, prices in California were 24.1% lower for 750-ml containers and 29.6% lower for 1.75-l containers. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate liquor prices in Washington have increased since our 2014 assessment at a larger percentage than prices in the neighboring control states Oregon and Idaho, with varying effects on brands, container sizes, and store types. We demonstrate privatization is associated with a different pattern of prices across store types than seen in California.

The Pay-Twice Critique, Government Funding, and Reasonable Pricing Clauses.

The federal government subsidizes the research and development of prescription medications. Thus, a captivating critique of expensive medications is that prices are too high because of taxpayer co-financing. This critique is often framed in terms of "paying-twice"-first for the research and second through the above market pricing of resulting products. Reasonable pricing clauses-which place some kind of pricing limitation on the exercise of license or patent rights governing a federally funded medication-are one proposed policy tool for addressing the pay-twice critique. This article provides increased analytical clarity as well as historical context to present-day debates about the privatization of federally funded research and prescription drug pricing. It makes three arguments. First, despite its pervasiveness and intuitive plausibility, the pay-twice critique is subject to differing interpretations which has important implications for the appropriateness of proposed solutions. Second, despite their initial attractiveness, the costs, necessity, and effectiveness of reasonable pricing clauses render the wisdom of this policy tool uncertain. However, third, given continued interest in reasonable pricing clauses, the NIH's previous experience with such a policy offers some useful lessons.

"With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility": Democracy, the Secretary of State for Health and Blame Shifting Within the English National Health Service.

The English National Health Service (NHS) has suffered from a democratic deficit since its inception. Democratic accountability was to be through ministers to Parliament, but ministerial control over and responsibility for the NHS were regarded as myths. Reorganizations and management and market reforms, in the neoliberal era, have centralized power within the NHS. However, successive governments have sought to reduce their responsibility for health care through institutional depoliticization, to shift blame, facilitated through legal changes. New Labour's creation of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) and Monitor were somewhat successful in reducing ministerial culpability regarding health technology regulation and foundation trusts, respectively. The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition created NHS England to reduce ministerial culpability for health care more generally. This is pertinent as the NHS is currently being undermined by inadequate funding and privatization. However, the public has not shifted from blaming the government to blaming NHS England. This indicates limits to the capacity of law to legitimize changes to social relations. While market reforms were justified on the basis of empowering patients, I argue that addressing the democratic deficit is a preferable means of achieving this goal.

[Social Healthcare Organizations: a phenomenological expression of healthcare privatization in Brazil]. / Organizações Sociais da Saúde: uma expressão fenomênica da privatização da saúde no Brasil.

The study analyzed the expansion of Social Healthcare Organizations (OSS in Portuguese) in Brazil from 2009 to 2014. The ten largest OSS were measured according to their budget funding and their qualifications as non-profit organizations were explored, considering evidence of their expansion and consolidation in the management and provision of health services via strategies proper to for-profit private enterprises. The study is descriptive and exploratory and was based on public-domain documents. In their relations with government, the OSS have benefited from legal loopholes and incentives and have expanded accordingly. There has been a recent trend for these organizations to simultaneously apply for status as charitable organizations, thereby ensuring multiple opportunities for fundraising and additional tax incentives, permission to invest financial surpluses in the capital market, and remunerate their boards of directors. These organizations tend to concentrate in technology-dense hospital services, with clauses concerning increasing financial transfers to the detriment of other regulatory clauses, and special contract modalities for enabling services that are absolutely strategic for the overall functioning of the Brazilian Unified National Health System. Thus, in this study, the OSS are one component of the Health Economic and Industrial Complex, acting in management, provision, and regulation of services in a scenario of intensive commodification of health and the transfer of public funds to the private sector.

A pesquisa analisou o processo de expansão das Organizações Sociais da Saúde (OSS) no Brasil durante o período de 2009-2014. Para tanto, dimensionou as dez maiores OSS segundo recursos financeiros captados, explorou suas qualificações como entidades sem fins lucrativos, tomando em conta as evidências empíricas que apontam para sua expansão e consolidação no processo de gestão e prestação de serviços de saúde via estratégias próprias de organizações privadas lucrativas. O estudo é descritivo e exploratório, e foi realizado com base em fontes documentais de domínio público. No plano das relações com o Estado, as OSS têm se beneficiado das brechas e facilidades concedidas pela lei e apresentado uma notável expansão. Evidenciou-se um movimento recente das OSS pela busca concomitante da condição de entidades filantrópicas, assegurando múltiplas oportunidades de captação de recursos e de benefícios fiscais; a possibilidade de aplicação de excedentes financeiros no mercado de capitais; e a remuneração de seus corpos diretivos. Há uma concentração em serviços hospitalares com maior densidade tecnológica; nítida predominância de cláusulas respeitantes ao incremento de repasses financeiros em detrimento de outras cláusulas regulatórias; existência de modalidades especiais de contratos com serviços-meios absolutamente estratégicos para o funcionamento geral do Sistema Único de Saúde. Portanto, neste estudo as OSS se configuram como um dos componentes do Complexo Econômico Industrial da Saúde, nas vertentes da gestão, da prestação e da regulação de serviços, em um cenário de intensiva mercantilização da saúde e de transferência de fundo público para o setor privado.

La investigación analizó el proceso de expansión de las Organizaciones Sociales de Salud (OSS) en Brasil, durante el período de 2009-2014. Para ello, se dimensionaron las diez mayores OSS, según los recursos financieros captados, exploró sus características, como entidades sin ánimo de lucro, tomando en consideración las evidencias empíricas que apuntan a su expansión y consolidación en el proceso de gestión y prestación de servicios de salud, vía estrategias propias de organizaciones privadas con ánimo de lucro. El estudio es descriptivo y exploratorio, y fue realizado en base a fuentes documentales de dominio público. En el plano de las relaciones con el Estado, las OSS se han beneficiado de las brechas y facilidades concedidas por la ley y presentado una notable expansión. Se evidenció un movimiento reciente de esas organizaciones por la búsqueda concomitante de su condición como entidades filantrópicas, asegurando múltiples oportunidades de captación de recursos y de beneficios fiscales; la posibilidad de inversión de excedentes financieros en el mercado de capitales; y la remuneración de sus cuerpos directivos. Existe una concentración en servicios hospitalarios con una mayor densidad tecnológica; nítida predominancia de cláusulas, respecto al incremento de transferencias financieras, en detrimento de otras cláusulas regulatorias; existencia de modalidades especiales de contratos con servicios-medios absolutamente estratégicos para el funcionamiento general del Sistema Único de Salud. Por tanto, en este estudio las OSS se configuran como uno de los componentes del Complejo Económico Industrial de la Salud, en las vertientes de la gestión, de la prestación y de la regulación de servicios, en un escenario de intensiva mercantilización de la salud y de transferencia de fondos públicos hacia el sector privado.

Organizações Sociais da Saúde: uma expressão fenomênica da privatização da saúde no Brasil / Social Healthcare Organizations: a phenomenological expression of healthcare privatization in Brazil / Organizaciones Sociales de la Salud: una expresión fenoménica de la privatización de la salud en Brasil

Resumo: A pesquisa analisou o processo de expansão das Organizações Sociais da Saúde (OSS) no Brasil durante o período de 2009-2014. Para tanto, dimensionou as dez maiores OSS segundo recursos financeiros captados, explorou suas qualificações como entidades sem fins lucrativos, tomando em conta as evidências empíricas que apontam para sua expansão e consolidação no processo de gestão e prestação de serviços de saúde via estratégias próprias de organizações privadas lucrativas. O estudo é descritivo e exploratório, e foi realizado com base em fontes documentais de domínio público. No plano das relações com o Estado, as OSS têm se beneficiado das brechas e facilidades concedidas pela lei e apresentado uma notável expansão. Evidenciou-se um movimento recente das OSS pela busca concomitante da condição de entidades filantrópicas, assegurando múltiplas oportunidades de captação de recursos e de benefícios fiscais; a possibilidade de aplicação de excedentes financeiros no mercado de capitais; e a remuneração de seus corpos diretivos. Há uma concentração em serviços hospitalares com maior densidade tecnológica; nítida predominância de cláusulas respeitantes ao incremento de repasses financeiros em detrimento de outras cláusulas regulatórias; existência de modalidades especiais de contratos com serviços-meios absolutamente estratégicos para o funcionamento geral do Sistema Único de Saúde. Portanto, neste estudo as OSS se configuram como um dos componentes do Complexo Econômico Industrial da Saúde, nas vertentes da gestão, da prestação e da regulação de serviços, em um cenário de intensiva mercantilização da saúde e de transferência de fundo público para o setor privado.

Abstract: The study analyzed the expansion of Social Healthcare Organizations (OSS in Portuguese) in Brazil from 2009 to 2014. The ten largest OSS were measured according to their budget funding and their qualifications as non-profit organizations were explored, considering evidence of their expansion and consolidation in the management and provision of health services via strategies proper to for-profit private enterprises. The study is descriptive and exploratory and was based on public-domain documents. In their relations with government, the OSS have benefited from legal loopholes and incentives and have expanded accordingly. There has been a recent trend for these organizations to simultaneously apply for status as charitable organizations, thereby ensuring multiple opportunities for fundraising and additional tax incentives, permission to invest financial surpluses in the capital market, and remunerate their boards of directors. These organizations tend to concentrate in technology-dense hospital services, with clauses concerning increasing financial transfers to the detriment of other regulatory clauses, and special contract modalities for enabling services that are absolutely strategic for the overall functioning of the Brazilian Unified National Health System. Thus, in this study, the OSS are one component of the Health Economic and Industrial Complex, acting in management, provision, and regulation of services in a scenario of intensive commodification of health and the transfer of public funds to the private sector.

Resumen: La investigación analizó el proceso de expansión de las Organizaciones Sociales de Salud (OSS) en Brasil, durante el período de 2009-2014. Para ello, se dimensionaron las diez mayores OSS, según los recursos financieros captados, exploró sus características, como entidades sin ánimo de lucro, tomando en consideración las evidencias empíricas que apuntan a su expansión y consolidación en el proceso de gestión y prestación de servicios de salud, vía estrategias propias de organizaciones privadas con ánimo de lucro. El estudio es descriptivo y exploratorio, y fue realizado en base a fuentes documentales de dominio público. En el plano de las relaciones con el Estado, las OSS se han beneficiado de las brechas y facilidades concedidas por la ley y presentado una notable expansión. Se evidenció un movimiento reciente de esas organizaciones por la búsqueda concomitante de su condición como entidades filantrópicas, asegurando múltiples oportunidades de captación de recursos y de beneficios fiscales; la posibilidad de inversión de excedentes financieros en el mercado de capitales; y la remuneración de sus cuerpos directivos. Existe una concentración en servicios hospitalarios con una mayor densidad tecnológica; nítida predominancia de cláusulas, respecto al incremento de transferencias financieras, en detrimento de otras cláusulas regulatorias; existencia de modalidades especiales de contratos con servicios-medios absolutamente estratégicos para el funcionamiento general del Sistema Único de Salud. Por tanto, en este estudio las OSS se configuran como uno de los componentes del Complejo Económico Industrial de la Salud, en las vertientes de la gestión, de la prestación y de la regulación de servicios, en un escenario de intensiva mercantilización de la salud y de transferencia de fondos públicos hacia el sector privado.

Política de saneamento básico no Brasil: discussão de uma trajetória / Basic sanitation policy in Brazil: discussion of a path

Resumo O artigo demonstra que a posição de dominância das empresas estaduais de saneamento condiciona o processo decisório da política pública de saneamento no Brasil. A hegemonia dessas empresas é aqui explicada por meio da análise de uma trajetória que foi capaz de criar incentivos políticos e econômicos que permitiram sua consolidação no tempo. A partir da análise de conteúdo da legislação proposta para o setor e do material produzido pelos grupos de interesse envolvidos na aprovação de um novo marco regulatório setorial em 2007, o trabalho identifica as principais fontes de incentivo instituídas pela adoção do Plano Nacional de Saneamento que explicariam determinados aspectos estruturais na política atual de saneamento e sua forte resiliência às inovações propostas no contexto democrático.

Abstract This article demonstrates that the position of dominance enjoyed by state sanitation companies dictates the public policy decision-making process for sanitation in Brazil. These companies’ hegemony is explained here through the analysis of a path that generated political and economic incentives that have permitted its consolidation over time. Through the content analysis of the legislation proposed for the sector and the material produced by the stakeholders involved in the approval of new regulations for the sector in 2007, the study identifies the main sources of incentive introduced by the adoption of the National Sanitation Plan, which explain certain structural features of the current sanitation policy and its strong capacity to withstand the innovations proposed under democratic rule.

Basic sanitation policy in Brazil: discussion of a path. / Política de saneamento básico no Brasil: discussão de uma trajetória.

This article demonstrates that the position of dominance enjoyed by state sanitation companies dictates the public policy decision-making process for sanitation in Brazil. These companies' hegemony is explained here through the analysis of a path that generated political and economic incentives that have permitted its consolidation over time. Through the content analysis of the legislation proposed for the sector and the material produced by the stakeholders involved in the approval of new regulations for the sector in 2007, the study identifies the main sources of incentive introduced by the adoption of the National Sanitation Plan, which explain certain structural features of the current sanitation policy and its strong capacity to withstand the innovations proposed under democratic rule.

Stakeholders' expectations and perceived effects of the pharmacy ownership liberalization reform in Sweden: a qualitative interview study.

BACKGROUND: Reforms in the health-care sector, including the pharmacy sector, can have different rationales. The Swedish pharmacies were prior to 2009 organized in a state-owned monopoly. In 2009, a liberalization of the ownership took place, in which a majority of the pharmacies were sold to private owners. The rationales for this liberalization changed profoundly during the preparatory work, making it probable that other rationales than the ones first expressed existed. The aim of this study was to explore the underlying rationales (not stated in official documents) for the liberalization in the Swedish pharmacy sector, and also to compare the expectations with the perceived outcomes. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with representatives from key stakeholder organizations; i.e., political, patient, and professional organizations. The analysis was performed in steps, and themes were developed in an inductive manner. RESULTS: One expectation among the political organization participants was that the ownership liberalization would create opportunities for ideas. The competition introduced in the market was supposed to lead to a more diversified pharmacy sector. After the liberalization, the participants in favor of the liberalization were surprised that the pharmacies were so similar. Among the professional organization participants, one important rationale for the liberalization was to get better use of the pharmacists' knowledge. However, all the professional, and some of the patient organization participants, thought that the counseling in the pharmacies had deteriorated after the liberalization. As expected in the interviews, the post-liberalization pharmacy sector consists of more pharmacies. However, an unexpected perceived effect of the liberalization was, among participants from all the stakeholder groups, less access to prescription medicines in the pharmacies. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the political organization participants had an ideological basis for their opinion. The political stakeholders did not have a clear view about what the liberalization should lead to, apart from abolishing the monopoly. The perceived effects are quite similar in the different stakeholder groups, and not as positive as were expected.

"The Google of Healthcare": enabling the privatization of genetic bio/databanking.

PURPOSE: 23andMe is back on the market as the first direct-to-consumer genetic testing company that "includes reports that meet Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards…." But, whereas its front-end product is selling individual genetic tests online, its back-end business model is amassing one of the largest privately owned genetic databases in the world. What is the effect, however, of the private control of bio/databases on genetic epidemiology and public health research? METHODS: The recent federal government notices of proposed rulemaking for: (1) revisions to regulations governing human subjects research and (2) whether certain direct-to-consumer genetic tests should require premarket FDA review, were reviewed and related to the 23andMe product, business model, and consumer agreements. RESULTS: FDA regulatory action so far has focused on the return of consumer test reports but it should also consider the broader misuse of data and information not otherwise protected by human subjects research regulations. CONCLUSIONS: As the federal government revises its decades-old human subjects research structure, the Executive Office of the President (EOP) should consider a cohesive approach to regulating private genetic bio/databanks. This strategy should allow the FDA and other agencies to play a role in expanding current regulatory coverage.

The privatization of spa companies in Poland - An evaluation of policy assumptions and implementation.

The aim of this article is to present the course of privatization of spa companies in Poland during the period 2001-2011. We discuss assumptions of the privatization process, as well as actual implementation, having identified the process as chaotic and inconsistent with prior legal provisions. We found that in its applied form the process resulted in limitation of the therapeutic potential of spas, and reduction of the State's ability to implement health policy in a legally determined form. We also found that privatization potentially improved spa infrastructure standards and increases the tourist potential of spa resorts. We recommend that clear eligibility criteria are applied to institutions in the privatization process, as well as the provision of legal guarantees for access to spa services financed from public resources. Such guarantees should be made a public obligation, to ensure the availability of services for insured persons, and there should be an obligation to maintain a specific part of a given institution's potential for the needs of patients funded by public health insurance.

[Assessment of prescriptive therapies and remedies - Experience and results].

In the years 2005-2015, a leading assessment institute conducted numerous assessments on behalf of two major German private health insurance companies concerning the necessity of prescriptive therapies and remedies. The findings are presented in this article, and the results vary significantly, depending on the prescriptive therapy assessed.

Analysis of Price Changes in Washington Following the 2012 Liquor Privatization.

AIMS: In June, 2012 the state of Washington ended a wholesale and retail monopoly on liquor sales resulting in about five times as many stores selling liquor. Three-tier restrictions were also removed on liquor, while beer and wine availability did not increase. Substantial taxes at both the wholesale and retail levels were implemented and it was expected that prices would rise. METHODS: To evaluate price changes after privatization we developed an index of about 68 brands that were popular in Washington during early 2012. Data on final liquor prices (including all taxes) in Washington were obtained through store visits and on-line sources between November 2013 and March of 2014. Primary analyses were conducted on five or six brand indexes to allow the inclusion of most stores. RESULTS: Washington liquor prices rose by an average of 15.5% for the 750 ml size and by 4.7% for the 1.75 l size, while only small changes were seen in the bordering states of Oregon and Idaho. Prices were found to vary greatly by store type. Liquor Superstores had generally the lowest prices while drugstore, grocery and especially smaller Liquor Store prices were found to be substantially higher. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that liquor prices in Washington increased substantially after privatization and as compared to price changes in bordering states, with a much larger increase seen for the 750 ml size and with wide variation across store types. However, persistent drinkers looking for low prices will be able to find them in certain stores.

[Privatization of health care management through Social Organizations in the city of São Paulo, Brazil: description and analysis of regulation]. / Privatização da gestão do sistema municipal de saúde por meio de Organizações Sociais na cidade de São Paulo, Brasil: caracterização e análise da regulação.

The article describes and discusses privatization of the municipal health system in São Paulo, Brazil, from an administrative and political perspective. The methodology consisted of a literature review and analysis of legislation and public documents. The study showed that although legislation governing the so-called "Social Organizations" (OS) in Brazil dates to the year 2006, half of the administrative privatization is still regulated by a previous provisional instrument in the form of an "agreement" ("convênio" in Portuguese). In 2011, 61% of services were administered by private organizations, which received 44% of the health budget in 2012. The twenty participating organizations include five of the ten largest health care companies in Brazil. Inspection agencies have detected flaws in the management contracts, but the "agreements" (convênios) are subject to less rigorous control and have proven invisible to inspection. Finally, the legal framework is unstable. The study uses the experience in São Paulo as the basis for discussing the political versus technical nature of private management in the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS).

Privatização da gestão do sistema municipal de saúde por meio de Organizações Sociais na cidade de São Paulo, Brasil: caracterização e análise da regulação / Privatization of health care management through Social Organizations in the city of São Paulo, Brazil: description and analysis of regulation / La privatización de la gestión del sistema de salud a través de Organizaciones Sociales en la ciudad de São Paulo, Brasil: caracterización y análisis de la regulación

Este trabalho caracteriza e discute a privatização da gestão do sistema municipal de saúde na cidade de São Paulo, Brasil, com base em uma perspectiva administrativista e política. A metodologia consistiu em levantamento bibliográfico e análise de legislação e documentos públicos. A pesquisa demonstrou que embora a lei de Organizações Sociais (OS) seja de 2006, metade da privatização da gestão ainda é regulada por um ajuste provisório anterior, o convênio. Em 2011, 61% dos serviços eram geridos por entidades privadas que, em 2012, receberam 44% do orçamento da saúde. As vinte entidades envolvidas incluem cinco dos dez maiores grupos privados de serviços médicos do país. Órgãos fiscalizadores evidenciam falhas de controle nos contratos de gestão, mas os convênios, que apresentam controle mais frágil, têm sido invisíveis à fiscalização. Por fim, o marco legal é instável. Valendo-se da experiência paulistana, discute-se o caráter político vs. técnico da regulação da gestão privada no Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS).

The article describes and discusses privatization of the municipal health system in São Paulo, Brazil, from an administrative and political perspective. The methodology consisted of a literature review and analysis of legislation and public documents. The study showed that although legislation governing the so-called "Social Organizations" (OS) in Brazil dates to the year 2006, half of the administrative privatization is still regulated by a previous provisional instrument in the form of an "agreement" ("convênio" in Portuguese). In 2011, 61% of services were administered by private organizations, which received 44% of the health budget in 2012. The twenty participating organizations include five of the ten largest health care companies in Brazil. Inspection agencies have detected flaws in the management contracts, but the "agreements" (convênios) are subject to less rigorous control and have proven invisible to inspection. Finally, the legal framework is unstable. The study uses the experience in São Paulo as the basis for discussing the political versus technical nature of private management in the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS).

El trabajo caracteriza y discute la privatización de la gestión del sistema municipal de salud de la ciudad de São Paulo, Brasil, desde una perspectiva administrativa y política. La metodología se basó en un análisis bibliográfico, legislativo y de documentos públicos. La investigación demostró que, aunque la ley de Organizaciones Sociales (OS) sea de 2006, la mitad de la gestión privada está todavía regulada por un instrumento legal provisional anterior, el convenio. En 2011, un 61% de los servicios se encontraban gestionados por entidades privadas que, en 2012, recibieron un 44% del presupuesto de salud. Entre las 20 entidades involucradas, existen 5 de los 10 mayores grupos privados de servicios médicos del país. Órganos fiscalizadores muestran fallos en el control de las OS, pero los convenios, cuyo control es más débil, han sido invisibles a ojos de estos órganos de fiscalización. Finalmente, cabe destacar que el marco legal es inestable. A partir de la experiencia de São Paulo, se discute el carácter técnico vs. político de la regulación en la gestión privada en el Sistema Único de Salud (SUS).