The cooperative movement at the service of social medicine
Brazil is the home of the largest medical cooperative in the world, an initiative that arose in the 1960s and that today has 19.7 million customers.
The largest medical cooperative in the world may be found in Brazil. This is Unimed, which brings together 116,000 medical professionals and up to 19.7 million customers. The Brazilian cooperative serves over 29,000 hospitals, clinics and accredited services, along with 163 of its own hospitals. It also owns emergency services, laboratories and diagnosis centres to guarantee the quality of the care given to its members.
Created in 1967 by Doctor Edmundo Castilho, for many years Unimed has been the largest healthcare cooperative in the world, according to the ranking carried out by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA).
Its foundation coincided with the structural transformations of the Social Security that occurred in the country. Brazil unified the Institute of Retirement and Pensions within the Social Security’s National Institute of Medical Care (INPS), which would then turn into the Social Security’s National Institute of Medical Care (Inamps), which was abolished in 1990, to give way to the Single Health System (SUS).
This concentration left a hole for health insurance companies and it affected the working conditions of the doctors in the country. Therefore, the cooperative União dos Médicos was established, later becoming Unimed.
The gynaecologist Edmundo Castilho started up this first cooperative experience in the country’s healthcare system, alongside a group of doctors. Following its success in the areas of Cubatão, Guarujá, Mongaguá, Peruíbe, Praia Grande and São Vicente, the promoters organised a schedule of visits to other Brazilian cities.
From this point onwards, the cooperative continued to extend and in the 1970s the Unimed Federations arose, the so-called second degree cooperatives. These cooperatives must be formed by at least three physical people. With this network, Unimed attempted to standardise the operating procedures and promote the exchange of experience between cooperatives of the same state.
After this expansion using federations, in 1975 the National Confederation of Medical Cooperatives of Brazil Unimed do Brasil was established, the top organisation of the Unimed System. Currently, Unimed is present in 84% of the country and it integrates 340 medical cooperatives.
The Brazilian cooperative network continues with its traditionally innovative work and for three years running it has held the first place amongst health companies in l TOP Open Corps 2023, an award that acknowledges companies that are leading in open innovation in the country.
The cooperative also develops innovative initiatives through its alliance with start-ups. Unimed is connected to 110 start-ups, with a business turnover of 30 million Brazilian Reals (4.7 million euros) per year.
Cooperatives first came into being during the Industrial Revolution as a response to the bad working conditions and they spread around the world, also reaching Spain.
The general manager of the International Cooperative Alliance speaks with Fundació Espriu from Delhi, where the cooperative movement summit will take place in a few days, marking the kickoff for the International Year of Cooperatives scheduled for 2025.