The article discusses the main characteristics of the Brazilian families' expenses with health, based on two different data sources: the Survey on Household Budgets (POF) and the National Survey of Sampled Households (PNAD). The importance of the expenses with health in regard to other groups of expenses is shown, as well its amount is estimated. It is demonstrated that the main categories of families' expenses with health are those related to the purchase of medicine and with the monthly fees of private health insurance. The families of the people who are amongst the 30% richest Brazilians are responsible for the majority of these expenses. In the families of the 90% poorest Brazilians, the greatest part of health expenses are due to medicine purchased. The poorest the families are, highest is the impact of the health expenses in their monthly budget, either if considering expenses with medicine, with private health insurance, or general.
Expenses with health; Expenses with medicine; Expenses with private health insurance fees; families
