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2. Organization and governance
2. Organization and governance
Chapter summary
•
The Portuguese health system is characterized by three co-existing
and overlapping systems: the universal NHS; the health subsystems,
health insurance schemes for which membership is based on
professional/ occupational group or company; and private voluntary
health insurance (VHI).
•
The Portuguese NHS was established in 1979, and is a universal
tax-financed system.
•
The Ministry of Health and its institutions concentrate the planning
and regulation activities of the health system.
•
The NHS is managed at regional level by the five regional health
administrations (RHAs), which were introduced in 1993.
•
Each RHA has a health administration board accountable to the Minister
of Health and responsible for strategic management of population health,
supervision and control of hospitals, management of the NHS primary
care centres, and implementation of national health policy objectives.
•
All hospitals belonging to the NHS are under the jurisdiction of the
Ministry of Health. Private sector hospitals, both not-for-profit and
for-profit, have their own management arrangements.
2.1 Organization
The Portuguese health system is characterized by three co-existing and
overlapping systems: the NHS; special public and private insurance schemes
for certain professions or companies (health subsystems); and private VHI.
Fig. 2.1 outlines the relationships between the various bodies, organizations
and institutions that comprise the health system.