Unimed

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.

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

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

• Health insurance plans
• Healthcare cooperative
• Medical provider network
• Occupational health services
• Supplementary health coverage

Headquarters

HQ city

Ijuí

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. 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

Core 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

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OCB (Organização das Cooperativas Brasileiras)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership 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)coreOthersRegulatory 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)minorOthersSupport 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

Regional 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

• YouTubeyoutube.com/canalunimed
• Facebookfacebook.com/unimedbr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unimed-com-br
• Instagraminstagram.com/unimedbr
• TikToktiktok.com/@unimedbr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Unimed