Agência Nacional de Saúde Suplementar president Wadih Nemer Damous Filho confirmed in São Paulo that artificial intelligence cannot exclusively deny Brazilian health insurance coverage.
Speaking in an interview with news network CNN Brasil during the Arvo Summit, Damous rejected the possibility of algorithms making final procedure rejections without human intervention. He insisted that human beings must retain control over the administrative process while artificial intelligence serves strictly as a tool.
Damous described allowing automated software to take command of coverage denials as unacceptable. He warned that unmonitored decision making risks creating a real world dystopia similar to the classic science fiction film 2001: A Space Odyssey, noting that scenarios once limited to movies could become reality.
Regulatory Limits on Healthcare Algorithms
The Agência Nacional de Saúde Suplementar, known as the ANS, is the federal agency responsible for overseeing Brazil's private health insurance sector under the Ministry of Health. The regulator is currently studying how artificial intelligence should be incorporated into health plan regulations.
Damous stated that officials must gain a deeper understanding of technological capabilities and potential risks before establishing formal rules. He explained that the goal is to permit beneficial applications while creating clear regulatory barriers against uses that could harm consumers or policyholders.
The regulator also urged the agency to accelerate its regulatory adaptation to keep pace with rapid technological advancements. He noted during the opening of the event that artificial intelligence interests him as a regulator primarily to transform data into preventative care and save lives.
Private Sector Role and Industry Dialogue
The conference took place in São Paulo, the central commercial hub for Brazil's private healthcare industry. The event brought together sector leaders and technology experts to discuss future directions for supplementary health management.
Fabrício Valadão, chief executive officer and co-founder of healthcare platform Arvo, said the meeting represents his company's desire to contribute to a broader industry discussion. He added that Arvo seeks to act as a platform for dialogue and collective effort to build a more efficient private health sector.
