INSS extends deadline for expertise by remote service

The INSS extended the medical expertise through teleassessments until June 30 this year. The pilot experience has been carried out since January in partner entities to comply with a decision by the TCU (Union Court of Auditors).

Remote service is applied as an attempt to reduce the waiting list for benefits.

For lawyer Adriane Bramante, president of the IBDP (Brazilian Institute of Social Security Law) and of the Social Security Law Commission of the OAB, the project is beneficial for policyholders.

“It is a reality that we cannot go back and need to expand. There are many agencies in the country that do not have experts, far from the insured, and that end up making access difficult”, says Bramante.

The ANMP (National Association of Expert Physicians), however, disagrees with whether the measure is effective in speeding up care and considers its implementation to be unethical.

When he asked the INSS to prepare a project to carry out medical expertise by telemedicine, in September 2020, Minister Bruno Dantas of the TCU said it was necessary to have alternatives to in-person expertise. At the time, INSS agencies were closed, and medical experts analyzed documents from policyholders across the country over the internet because of the pandemic.

Today, medical expertise using teleassessment is carried out in cooperation with at least ten municipalities: Francisco Morato (SP), Minas Novas (MG), Vassouras (RJ), Santo Augusto (RS), Olhos D’Água das Flores (AL ), Corrente (PI), Pedro Gomes (MS), Ji Paraná (RO), Lábrea (AM) and Botas de Macaúbas (BA).

Who needs to pass expertise?

Medical expertise is mandatory for the granting or extension of INSS benefits such as:

• accident assistance
• sick pay
• BPC (Continued Payment Benefit)
• By disability retirement

The objective is to prove the existence of a disabling disease, functional limitation or disability of the insured

expertise by teleassessment

• Remote expertise is carried out through remote document analysis or using telemedicine or similar technologies or a combination of both.

• The opinion can be used to grant aid for temporary incapacity, review of tax and social security benefits, legal proceedings, movement of the FGTS (Fundo de Garantia do Tempo de Serviço) and the biopsychosocial assessment of the disability for social security, assistance and tax purposes.