The Short Notes series intends to provide analyses on key topics related with the health sector. This Short Note discusses the role of the public and private sectors within the Portuguese health system across two distinct areas: the financing of healthcare expenditure and the provision of healthcare services.
The financing of healthcare expenditure in Portugal continues to be predominantly supported by taxes (public sector) and direct out-of-pocket payments by households (private sector). Private health insurance, although it has grown over the past two decades, still plays a relatively limited role.
An analysis of the relationship between the public and private sectors in healthcare provision shows that, despite the increasing use of private providers and their growing importance as a choice for citizens, the National Health Service remains the cornerstone of the health system.
The public and private sectors operate in a dynamic of both competition and complementarity, shaped by citizens’ choices and the evolving needs of the health system. The future of public–private articulation in healthcare will depend on the ability to design policies that address existing tensions without compromising the principles of universality, equity, and solidarity that underpin the Portuguese National Health Service.
šSee report in Portuguese here.
This report is part of the Social Equity Initiative , a partnership between FundaciĆ³n ”la Caixa”, Banco BPI and Nova SBE.
Author of the study: Pedro Pita Barros and Carolina Borges da Cunha Santos.