LAUSR

Access to health services in Brazil is universal, comprehensive, and equate, offering free healthcare to anyone, regardless of its country of residence. Cross-border patients may theoretically overload the healthcare services, mainly when the health systems or healthcare quality differ between countries. Sometimes, Brazilian politicians of border areas claim that non-residents overload local health services. We collected data on the medium and high complexity Oncology and Cardiology care provided to in-patients by a reference Brazilian hospital located in the most populous international border of the country. This border is a conurbation that includes the cities of Foz do Iguassu (Brazil), Ciudad del Este (Paraguay), and Puerto Iguazu (Argentina), totaling around 900,000 inhabitants, of which 264,044 live in Foz do Iguassu. In addition to the poor migration control of citizens crossing these borders - especially the border with Paraguay - the Brazilian Unified Health System differs from that of the other two countries for being free of charge, and also for offering better healthcare. From January 2014 to December 2018, 107,434 procedures were performed, of which 240 (0.22%) on non-resident patients (Paraguay, [n = 236]; Argentina [n = 4]). Additionally, 238 (0.22%) other procedures were performed on foreign patients who did not declare their city/country of origin (Paraguay [n = 229]; Argentina [n = 8]; Portugal [n = 1]). The use of medium and high complexity procedures by the non-residents on the Brazilian side of its most populous international border is low. Non-residents may benefit from medium and high complexity healthcare services of neighboring countries without overloading the health system. Advocating that non-residents overload medium and high complexity health services in Brazil is dishonest and may segregate people. Efforts should move toward integrating healthcare in border regions.