OBJECTIVES: Fifty-six million deaths worldwide were estimated in 2012 , of which 68% were caused by noncommunicable diseases (cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes and chronic lung diseases). In 2013, approximately 28% of the deaths reported in Brazil were from vascular diseases and 11% from respiratory diseases . Acknowledging that disease-associated costs account for a significant burden on health systems, this study aims to estimate the impact of deaths from the Brazilian Private Healthcare System (PHS) perspective. METHODS: The number of hospital discharges due to death, as well as hospitalization costs and resources usage by PHS were analyzed using a database containing approximately 200,000 lives on a retrospective cohort analysis   between September, 2014 and August, 2015. RESULTS: From the 426 patients identified, 408 were considered for analysis (18 patients were excluded for lack of information). The main causes of death are related to respiratory diseases (n=129), cardiac diseases (n=102), cancer (n=51) and septicemia (n=49). Related total costs leading up to a death event were BRL 1,971,739.32 (26%), BRL 1,954,363.41 (26%), BRL 1,253,653.65 (17%) and BRL 754,813.38 (10%), respectively. The main causes of death observed in elderly patients were respiratory diseases (28% / N=113), cardiac diseases (22% / N=88) and septicemia (7% / N=45).  CONCLUSIONS: Respiratory and cardiac diseases are a major burden for the Brazilian PHS, affecting especially elderly people.  Public health options should be explored to help reduce the economic impact of death events, such as adopting focused and integrated prevention strategies.