What are healthcare cooperatives

Among the different types of enterprises that are part of the social economy (the economy which prioritises social and community objectives over profit), cooperatives stand out. These entities, guided by principles and values, operate democratically and reinvest their profits in the community or in the organisation itself.

There are various types of cooperatives, adapted to different needs and economic sectors. In the health sector, healthcare cooperatives play a crucial role, ensuring that more people have access to high-quality, affordable and democratically managed healthcare services.

Why are healthcare cooperatives so important?

Healthcare co-operatives are committed to a socially oriented approach to healthcare. They are characterised by not making commercial profitability their raison d'être and by placing the patient at the centre of what they do. In other words, their goal is not to maximise financial gain, but rather to offer the best services and have a positive impact on society. For all these reasons, co-operatives are essential in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals particularly Goal 3.

Goal 3: “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.”

What makes a healthcare cooperative different?

These organisations combine quality, proximity and accessibility, always considering people before profit. Their main characteristic is that the ownership of the company is in the hands of the users of the services and the professionals who provide them. Some of their benefits are:

They offer healthcare services of the highest quality: Professionals and users, as owners of the cooperative, pursue a constant improvement of services.
They are sustainable: Continuous reinvestment of surpluses ensures the viability and future of the cooperative.
They are close: They care deeply about people, both patients and health professionals.
They are quick to respond: They can adapt and resolve needs quickly.
They cover neglected areas: They offer services which other companies do not provide because they are not profitable.
They resist crises well: They are flexible companies that adapt effectively to new circumstances even in difficult times.

Healthcare cooperatives around the world

100 million households have access to healthcare through a healthcare cooperative

2% of the global total of cooperatives

>3.000 healthcare cooperatives around the world

Healthcare cooperatives are a viable and effective alternative for the provision of health services, particularly in contexts where access to healthcare and equity are major challenges.

Are all healthcare cooperatives the same?

As the International Health Cooperative Organisation (IHCO) explains, health co-operatives are divided into several types depending on who forms them.

These include professional cooperatives, made up of healthcare professionals with the aim of improving working conditions; producer cooperatives, which bring together pharmacists who work together to become more competitive; user co-operatives, created by people who need medical care and seek access to services they would otherwise be unable to obtain; and multi-stakeholder cooperatives, which bring together different groups, such as patients and professionals, to make collective decisions and improve health services.

Moreover, as an ever-growing number of economic activities are related to health, healthcare cooperatives may be active in more than one sector.