IMPACTS OF JUDICIAL DEMANDS ON HEALTH: THE CASE OF UBÁ/MG
public health, judicialization, public budget
Public health is a fundamental social right, guaranteed by Article 6 of the Brazilian Constitution (1988), and its purpose is to improve the citizens’ quality of life through the development of public policies. Despite the Public Administration’s efforts toward implementing these policies, the right to health is often not effectively implemented in accordance with constitutional guidelines. The State’s omission to provide health care in an effectively and efficiently manner, as established in the Constitution, results in the phenomenon known as “judicialization of health claims”. This occurs when citizens resort to the Judiciary to guarantee their constitutional rights to health, therefore leading the Courts to play a more active role in promoting this fundamental right. In this context, this study aims to analyze the impacts of the judicialization of health in the public budget of the municipality of Ubá, Minas Gerais. For this purpose, an analysis will be carried out based on indicators for assessing and monitoring law demands, using the model developed by Pepe (2011) as a methodological reference. In addition, a semi-structured interview will be performed to contextualize the local organizational management in relation to the results obtained from the initial analysis. Based upon these analyses, it will be possible to identify areas for improvement in the management and meeting of legal demands related to health care in the municipality.