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A new agreement allows patients from the Regional Health Service to be referred to private providers for fine-needle aspiration biopsies of thyroid nodules and the related analyses. The examinations are paid for by IASAÚDE and must not incur any charges for patients.
The Regional Government has approved the rules for contracting private providers to perform fine-needle aspiration biopsies of thyroid nodules and the related pathological anatomy analyses for patients of Madeira’s Regional Health Service. The measure, approved by Ordinance No. 594/2026 of 19 October, forms part of the Special Programme for Access to Healthcare (PEACS) and aims to address SESARAM, EPERAM’s lack of capacity to provide these procedures through additional activity.
The agreement covers the two stages required for diagnosis: collecting the sample and processing and analysing it through pathological anatomy. IASAÚDE, IP-RAM covers the full cost of the services under the agreement, so providers may not charge patients co-payments, user fees or any other costs.
The two procedures may be combined when multiple biopsies are performed on the same patient. Only codes for procedures actually carried out may be billed.
Access requires a referral from the patient’s SESARAM doctor, accompanied by a certificate explaining why the examination must be carried out outside the public service. When the examination is prescribed, patients must be able to choose from among participating providers; the doctor must not make that choice on their behalf.
The biopsy must be performed by a specialist in radiology, endocrinology and/or pathological anatomy with appropriate training, within a maximum of 30 working days of the referral being submitted. Analysis of the samples should normally be completed within four working days of collection, and results must be delivered no later than eight working days after the examination, except where technical circumstances require more time. Cases marked as urgent take priority and should, whenever possible, be handled immediately.
Individuals and legal entities, whether for-profit or non-profit, may join if they provide complementary diagnostic and therapeutic services in the areas covered by the agreement and meet the requirements for qualifications, licensing, technical responsibility, and civil and professional liability insurance. Applications must be submitted to IASAÚDE, IP-RAM, together with the accession form, technical information sheet and required documents. If the application is complete, a decision to accept or reject it must be made within a maximum of 30 days.
Agreements run for one year and may be renewed for equal periods, up to a maximum of three years. IASAÚDE monitors activity and billing and may carry out audits. The ordinance enters into force on the day after publication; each agreement takes effect in the month following notification of the decision accepting the provider.
An order authorises the allocation of costs for a contract to rent copying and printing equipment and related services for SESARAM. The contract will run for 48 months and has a total base price of €399,960, plus VAT.
Cláudia Sofia Freitas Fernandes, a nurse at SESARAM, has been granted scholarship-holder status to pursue a doctorate at the Portuguese Catholic University. Partial leave may include up to 30 days of paid absence per year, subject to academic progress and continued service at the institution.
Cláudia Patrícia Mendonça Gouveia, a SESARAM nurse, will receive scholarship-equivalent status to pursue a doctorate until 17 July 2027. The leave will be partial and subject to conditions on pay, academic progress and continued service.