Brazil’s Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) is funded through a tripartite structure shared by municipalities, states, and the federal government, under a web of oversight that follows public money across these different levels of government and even across branches. Spending is audited by the Courts of Accounts at the federal, state, and municipal levels, each…

A friend of mine got sick in Brazil while visiting from Chile and needed to see a doctor. She went to a “primary health unit” (“Unidade Básica de Saúde,” UBS) where they quickly checked her into the system and directed her to the right line. After a short wait, she had a full appointment conducted…