Doctor who charge extra fees for natural childbirth will be punished in Brazil

The National Health Agency (ANS) said that the health insurance companies began to disqualify obstetricians who charge extra fees to accompany a normal delivery as long as necessary. For the NSA, the collection is considered “illegal and improper.” Allegations made ??by mom and operators have already resulted in the disaffiliation of professionals living in the city of Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte. The agency does not report the number of cases that occurred in the country, but indicates that there are 15 cases of misappropriation under investigation.

The mechanism created by the Federal Council of Medicine (CFM) allows physicians to health plans cover additional fees for their patients to follow a normal birth for as long as necessary. The birth itself is covered by the plans.

At the end of last year, CFM said there was no “impediment ethical ‘in this action , and believes it will encourage professionals to conduct more natural births, reducing what the board calls “epidemic of caesarean section.”
“We received reports of women being charged or paying out the availability of the [professional]. We are recommending that they refuse to pay and they denounce. Operators who have knowledge of the professionals who make this charge have done the accreditation, “said the manager of health care to the ANS, Karla Coelho.

The position of the board has raised questions about the minimum amount of professional staff that must be present in the maternity ward in childbirth in an emergency, and do not explain much about the availability of the doctor in case of simultaneous births. A ANS representative also informed that health insurance companies could be fined up to $ 100,000 if it is found that the professional hired to do the misappropriation. The goal is to prevent this practice from spreading to other specialties. Doctors do not want to create problems, informs CFM Through note, CFM reported that the disclosure of opinion on charging extra fees occurred only after consultation by the NSA. And doctors – through its representative bodies – in no way intended to penalize or create problems for pregnant women.

The council also claims that the document recommends the discussion on the subject at the beginning of the pre-natal, when the professional inform the patient or their willingness not to make delivery by the health plan.
In the statement, CFM also said that the opinion “meets guiding role to indicate ethical behavior to avoid upsetting future,” noting that the pregnant woman, to choose not to follow this classroom, you can do all your prenatal care with a physician and perform delivery available in hospital with professional reference given by the health plan.

CREDITS:
http://g1.globo.com/