OBJECTIVES: : Health Technology Assessment (HTA) supports public policies in several countries. The institutionalization of HTA in Brazil began in 2000 at the Ministry of Health (MS) and had the participation of the National Regulatory Agency for Private Health Insurance (ANS). However, the public system and the private health insurance sector followed different paths in the consolidation of this policy. Different HTA processes in the country can generate rework, inefficiency and increase inequalities between the public and the private sector.

METHODS: A scoping review was completed based on Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines. It was carried out from 2000 to 2019, in the Medline, Scopus, Web of Science and Lilacs databases. Studies of any design were accepted according to the inclusion criteria; be related to HTA policies in Brazil that involved ANS, the supplementary health sector or private health insurance sector. Studies in English, Spanish or Portuguese were selected.

RESULTS: Of de 599 records initially identified, the full text of 28 papers were evaluated, 26 of which remained for the final data set. More than 90% of the selected studies were published after 2009, and none of them addressed exclusively the HTA implementation in the Brazilian private health sector. The national studies were mainly dedicated to reporting on actions coordinated by the MS concerning HTA implementation in the public sector.

CONCLUSIONS: The scope review found a lack of literature on the subject, most of the available articles were published more recently. The international literature suggests that national coordination of a HTA model is desired, aiming to increase the transparency of institutions, greater credibility of their decisions, greater efficiency of the process and provide greater equity. The differences between the public and private sectors identified in this review represent potential starting points for reducing health inequalities in HTA policies in Brazil.