Spending constraint and unpaid commitments on the federal budget for the Brazilian public health system

Abstract This article explores the execution of the Brazilian federal budget for public health programs and services (ASPS), from 2002 to 2015, analyzing the impact of the spending constraint and unpaid commitments on the public healthcare system (SUS) financing. It was found that in this period the authorized payment limit for the Ministry of Health was insufficient to pay yearly expenses, engendering significant amounts of unpaid commitments. In addition, the cancellation of part of the unpaid commitments impacts the allocation of resources in ASPS, further aggravating SUS financing difficulties.