Fatores determinantes na decisão de entrada de empresas no mercado de saúde suplementar no Brasil

Abstract

The health insurance market in Brazil has undergone many transformations since the establishment of the National Supplementary Health Agency (ANS) on January 28, 2000. Subsequently, there have been observed non-simultaneous movements of concentration and interiorization of health plan operators. This study aims to analyze the competitive behavior of firms in relation to the entry movements of health plan operators into the interior of Brazil from 2014 to 2021. To achieve this goal, an empirical entry model was estimated following Bresnahan and Reiss (1991b). The results indicate that health plan operators adopt a 'me too' strategy, as the entry of one operator sends a positive signal for the entry of others. The benefits of discovering a new market by the first entrant dissipate over time, and the market stabilizes around the twelfth entrant. It was also observed that the competitive behavior of firms does not show significant changes in the period from 2014 to 2021. Furthermore, the data suggest that the higher the percentage of salaried employees, the larger the population, the higher the GDP per capita, and the higher the percentage of people aged 60 and over, the more likely it is to have more health plan operators in a given market.