Unimed
Unimed do Brasil is the national confederation of Brazil's largest healthcare cooperative system, coordinating a federated network of regional cooperatives that deliver health insurance plans, medical consultations, hospitalizations, and laboratory services to individual, family, and corporate members across Brazil.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1967
- HeadquartersIjuí, Brazil
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Unimed does
Unimed do Brasil is the national confederation of the Sistema Unimed, the world's largest healthcare cooperative network, founded in 1967 and headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil. The confederation coordinates a federated structure of regional Unimed cooperatives (Singulares) that collectively deliver health insurance plans, medical consultations, hospitalizations, laboratory tests, and emergency care to individual, family, and corporate members across Brazil. Revenue is generated primarily through recurring health insurance premiums under a subscription model, with the confederation itself reporting R$229.7 million in revenue in 2018 (the latest disclosed financial year), up from R$164.8 million in 2014.
The underlying service platform is the network itself: an integrated directory of affiliated doctors, clinics, and hospitals (Guia Médico), supported by digital service layers including the Unimed mobile app on iOS and Android, an online bill payment service (2ª Via de Boleto), the Viver Bem health and wellness content portal, and customer service channels. Wholly-owned operating subsidiaries extend the offering into adjacent lines: Seguros Unimed distributes supplementary insurance products, SOU provides occupational health and workplace wellness services, and Unimed Lab (created in 2020) acts as the confederation's innovation hub for technology and digital transformation. Distribution is hybrid: regional cooperatives handle direct field sales to enterprise and individual customers, while digital and inside-sales channels serve the consumer/SMB segment. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed.
Unimed has been the most remembered health insurance brand in Brazil for 27 consecutive years and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2017. The system operates under the regulatory oversight of ANS (Agência Nacional de Saúde Suplementar) and engages in cooperative-sector initiatives with OCB and sustainability alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Publicly disclosed regulatory actions affecting specific regional Unimeds (Norte/Nordeste) include civil and judicial recovery proceedings, illustrating operational risks inherent to a federated cooperative structure.
Unimed firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Unimed
- Legal name
- Unimed do Brasil
- Website
- https://unimed.coop.br
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1967
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Unimed do Brasil is the national confederation of Brazil's largest healthcare cooperative system, coordinating a federated network of regional cooperatives that deliver health insurance plans, medical consultations, hospitalizations, and laboratory services to individual, family, and corporate members across Brazil.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Unimed industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Health Insurance
- NAICS
- Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers (524114), Direct Life, Health, and Medical Insurance Carriers (52411)
- SIC
- Hospital & Medical Service Plans (6324), Accident & Health Insurance (6321)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Off-Exchange Individual Major Medical Plans (FSAIAEAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Self-Funded (ASO) Group Health Plans & Stop-Loss (FSAIAFAB), Individual Supplemental Health (Hospital Indemnity, Critical Illness, Accident) (FSAIAEAD)
Keywords
Where Unimed is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ijuí
- HQ country
- Brazil
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Unimed business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Health Insurance Premiums: Unimed generates revenue primarily through health insurance premiums charged to individuals, families, and corporate clients for coverage of medical expenses, hospitalizations, and healthcare services through its network of cooperative healthcare providers.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Unimed product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Unimed provides private health insurance plans (Planos de Saúde) covering medical consultations, hospitalizations, and laboratory tests through a federated cooperative network of affiliated doctors, clinics, and hospitals across Brazil. The system supplements its core plans with the SOU occupational health service for corporate clients, Seguros Unimed insurance products, a mobile app, and an online provider directory (Guia Médico).
Product overview
Unimed is Brazil's largest healthcare cooperative system, operating as a federated structure of regional Unimed cooperatives. The core offering consists of health insurance plans (Planos de Saúde) supported by an extensive network of affiliated doctors, clinics, and hospitals accessible through the Guia Médico directory. Digital services include the 2ª Via de Boleto for bill payment, the Unimed App for mobile access, and the Viver Bem content platform providing health and wellness information. Supplementary offerings include SOU (Saúde Ocupacional Unimed) for occupational health services, Seguros Unimed for insurance products, and Unimed Lab as an innovation hub for technology development. The company also publishes the Revista Unimed BR magazine and maintains transparency through annual management and sustainability reports.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Mude1Hábito: A health and wellness movement encouraging behavioral changes for healthy living, covering areas like healthy eating, physical activity, and emotional balance.
- Viver Bem
- Revista Unimed BR
Products and services
- Planos de Saúde Unimed (Unimed Health Plans) Private health insurance plans offered by the Unimed cooperative system, providing medical coverage through a network of affiliated doctors, clinics, and hospitals across Brazil for individuals, families, and corporate clients.
- SOU - Saúde Ocupacional Unimed Occupational health service providing workplace health programs, employee wellness initiatives, and occupational safety services for corporate clients.
- Seguros Unimed Insurance products offered by Seguros Unimed, including health insurance supplements and related financial protection products.
- Unimed App Mobile application available on iOS and Android for beneficiaries to access plan information, find doctors, manage their health insurance, and access digital services.
Quantifiable outcome
- Most remembered health insurance brand in Brazil for 27 consecutive years
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Unimed
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Unimed technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Unimed partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- OCB (Organização das Cooperativas Brasileiras)corePartnership with OCB to promote cooperativism awareness and values. Unimed promotes the sense of belonging and unity through the 'Somos Coop' (We are Coop) initiative, providing knowledge about the cooperative model and encouraging participation.
- ANS (Agência Nacional de Saúde Suplementar)coreRegulatory oversight by Brazil's National Supplementary Health Agency. ANS establishes rules and regulations for the supplementary health sector including health insurance plans, provider networks, and consumer protection.
- United Nations (UN)minorSupport for UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs/Agenda 2030). Unimed do Brasil supports and encourages local Unimeds to connect their actions with the 17 objectives and 169 targets of the global development agenda.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Unimed competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Allianz Care: Global health and supplemental insurance provider operating across multiple international markets. Comparable as a multi-region health insurer, though Unimed is single-country and focused on Brazilian cooperative care.
Direct peers
- Hapvida NotreDame Intermédica: One of Brazil's largest health insurance and healthcare provider operators, offering health plans and integrated care delivery. Directly competes with Unimed in both individual/family and corporate segments across Brazil.
- Amil: Major Brazilian health insurance provider (owned by UnitedHealth Group) offering individual, family, and corporate health plans. Directly competes with Unimed across all major Brazilian metropolitan markets.
- SulAmérica: One of Brazil's largest independent health insurance operators, offering health, dental, and group life plans. Competes with Unimed primarily in corporate/employer-sponsored segments.
- Bradesco Saúde: Health insurance arm of Bradesco, one of Brazil's largest banks. Offers individual, family, and corporate health plans with broad provider networks, directly competing with Unimed across segments.
- Porto Seguro Saúde: Health insurance division of Porto Seguro, offering health and dental plans to individuals and corporate clients in Brazil. Comparable in product offering and target customer segments to Unimed.
- NotreDame Intermédica: Now part of Hapvida, operates integrated health insurance and care delivery with strong presence in São Paulo. Direct competitor in major metropolitan areas and employer-sponsored segments.
Broad incumbents
- Kaiser Permanente: Largest US integrated healthcare cooperative, combining health plan and care delivery. Comparable to Unimed in its member-owned cooperative model and integrated provider-network structure, though at much larger scale.
- UnitedHealth Group: Largest US health insurance and healthcare services conglomerate; owns Amil in Brazil. Comparable as a vertically integrated health plan operator, but operates at vastly larger scale and with public-company capital flexibility Unimed lacks.
Emerging players
- Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC): Largest customer-owned health insurer in the US, operating Blues plans across multiple states. Shares Unimed's mutual/cooperative ownership philosophy and broad-network, multi-state (multi-region) operating model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Unimed social profiles
Digital presenceUnimed financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Unimed leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Unimed subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Unimed funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Unimed M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Unimed
What does Unimed do?
Unimed provides private health insurance plans (Planos de Saúde) covering medical consultations, hospitalizations, and laboratory tests through a federated cooperative network of affiliated doctors, clinics, and hospitals across Brazil. The system supplements its core plans with the SOU occupational health service for corporate clients, Seguros Unimed insurance products, a mobile app, and an online provider directory (Guia Médico).
Is Unimed a public or private company?
Unimed is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Unimed founded?
Unimed was founded in 1967. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Unimed based?
Unimed is headquartered in Ijuí, Brazil, in the Latin America region.
How does Unimed make money?
One revenue line is on record: health Insurance Premiums.
Who are Unimed's main competitors?
Allianz Care is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Hapvida NotreDame Intermédica, Amil, SulAmérica, Bradesco Saúde, Porto Seguro Saúde and NotreDame Intermédica. Broad incumbents are Kaiser Permanente and UnitedHealth Group. Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Unimed have an API?
No public API is recorded for Unimed.
What industry is Unimed in?
Unimed's product category is Health Insurance. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAIAEAB, Off-Exchange Individual Major Medical Plans, with a secondary code of FSAIAFAB, Self-Funded (ASO) Group Health Plans & Stop-Loss. Its NAICS code is 524114 and its SIC code is 6324.