The process of regionalization of SUS and municipal autonomy in the use of financial resources: an analysis of the state of São Paulo (2009-2014)

ABSTRACT

This article aims to understand the effects that the financing of actions and public programs linked to the health care thematic networks have on the transfers of federal resources to the Municipal Health Fund within the Block of financing of the Medium and High Complexity (MHC), in order to identify to what extent the implementation of these networks restricted the autonomy of municipal entities and which were prioritized in relation to the volume of resources effectively transferred. By and large, one has to question if the transfers linked to thematic networks meant an increase to the resources of the MHC Block, keeping thus the most autonomous portion of use of municipal entities preserved.

KEYWORDS
Health economics; Health care financing; Decentralization; Regional health planning