Last Wednesday (September 21), the press trumpeted the enactment of a new law, especially the G1 news outlet, informing that healthcare providers are obliged to cover treatments outside the list of the Brazilian Supplementary Health Agency (ANS).

This is another chapter in the fierce dispute between providers and patients, mediated by the authorities. Healthcare providers claim an imbalance in their financial health, while patients denounce lack of coverage and excessive costs in their assistance.

‍

On January 27, 2022, the Brazilian Data Protection Authority (ANPD) edited Rule CD/ANPD #2 to regulate the application of the  Brazilian Data Privacy Act, (LGPD), Statute #13,709/2018 to small processing agents: micro-enterprises, small businesses, startups, legal entities governed by private law, including non-profits, as per the legislation in force, as well as natural persons and depersonalized private entities that process personal data, assuming typical controller or processor obligations.

‍

Corruption is definitely not an evil that only plagues Brazil but absolutely all countries without exception, to a greater or lesser extent. The existence of corruptors presupposes the existence of corrupts and vice versa. Therefore, focusing on fighting corruption at both extremes is essential, otherwise the effort may be in vain.

‍

In March of this year, Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite, from the Criminal Division of the United States Justice Department, made a speech for his colleagues. The contents of this speech are still unknown to many executives and professionals in the legal and compliance areas, but has brought a very interesting new obligation:

‍

On July 20, 2022, the Brazilian Federal Pharmacy Council (CFF) published Rule #727/2022, meeting a pressing need in the sector, with the rampant advancement of technology, by regulating the practice of Telepharmacy in Brazil.

The interaction between the pharmaceutical and the medical devices industries and doctors has always been reason of concern for the authorities and the population, due to the potential conflict of interests that can be established with the concession of advantages given by the industry, in form of scientific support, gifts, meals, etc… which could interfere especially in the doctor's judgment in choosing the best treatment for their patient.

‍

The Brazilian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT.br) from the Brazilian Network Information Center (NIC.br) – which is the executive branch of the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br) – has been in charge of dealing with security incidents involving networks connected to the Internet in Brazil since 1997. With the collaboration of Brazilian Data Protection Authority (ANPD), they have published the Guide to Data Leakage with the purpose of guiding people on the potential risks of data processing in digital environments.

‍

On July 1, 2021, Statute #14,181, also known as the Overindebtedness Act, was approved. It amended the Brazilian Consumer Protection Code and the Brazilian Elderly Bill of Rights with the purpose of protecting individuals who, in good faith, contracted debts above their ability to pay and without compromising their social minimum, with the exception of consumers of luxury items, which are not protected.

‍

A lot is said about integrity, but examples of its practice are not always seen on a daily basis. Conversely, there are controversial situations in which actions that could be considered ethical are questionable due to their results.

The Brazilian government edited Decree #11,129 on this Monday, July 11, 2022, updating the regulation of the Brazilian Anti-Corruption Act (Statute #12,846 of August 1, 2013) and bringing some changes to the content of Decree #8,420 of March 18, 2015, which was responsible for such regulation.

‍

The Office of the Comptroller General (CGU) announced on June 4, 2022, the release of its newest document: the Handbook for Handling Conflicts of Interest.

On June 29, 2022, several media outlets, including the Isto É Dinheiro magazine, published revelations that, despite the political capitalization by the government's opponents, brought to light a worrying threat to the effectiveness of the integrity programs implemented in the various government entities.

On May 9, 2022, the website “Policy & Medicine” published an interesting article signed by Thomas Sullivan titled “McKinsey – Serving as a Double Agent?”. It describes that the Oversight and Reform Committee on the US House of Representatives issued a report concluding that 22 consultants from the renowned McKinsey consulting firm were assigned to work simultaneously with the US government and with opioid manufacturers.

‍

On this 13th of June, the Brazilian government issued the Executive Order #1,124, which was also published in the Federal Gazette on June 14, 2022. Containing 10 articles, it enters into force on the date of its publication.

‍

On June 8, 2022, Brazil witnessed the unfolding of another chapter involving healthcare plans, patients and the Brazilian Agency of Supplementary Health (ANS), this time at the headquarters of the Brazilian Superior Court of Justice (STJ), in Brasilia.