Brazilian ICMIF Member, Seguros Unimed, has created a new business area (Commercial Superintendence PME e Adesão) which will develop health solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The health sector is still growing in popularity in Brazil. According to the National Agency for Complementary Health (ANS), the number of beneficiaries of medical plans reached a total of 49 million people in March 2022, representing an increase of 2.6% compared to the same period in 2021. This number tends to now grow year on year since, according to a survey conducted by Vox Populi and the Instituto de Saúde Suplementar (IESS) in July 2021, the health plan was made one of the priorities of Brazilian families due the Covid-19 pandemic.

Currently, according to the National Confederation of Industries (CNI), 70% of the beneficiaries of health plans in Brazil are linked to companies. This is one of the benefits most valued by employees, being sought by 77% of people of working age in the country. In this scenario, micro and small companies, concerned about talent retention, represent an important niche market for health operators and insurers.

This year, Seguros Unimed created the new business area to develop health solutions for SMEs, understanding and adapting its portfolio of products to the needs of that particular sector. The new area of Unimed’s business aims to expand Seguros Unimed’s participation in markets such as São Paulo, Salvador and Brasilia.

“According to the Ministry of the Economy, in 2021, Brazil registered the opening of 4 million new companies, eight out of 10 of these being new Individual Microenterprise Enterprises (MEIs). This data only reinforces the importance of health plans aimed at this sector and shows the strength of this market. Today, Seguros Unimed provides cover for 59,400 lives among SMEs and we intend to reach the end of 2022 with a 20% increase in this portfolio,” says Gustavo Knupp, the executive who assumed responsibility for the newly created business area.

PME Seguros Unimed plans have five categories and are available to businesses with a minimum of two employees and a maximum of 99 employees. The accredited network covers all the main hospitals and laboratories in the capitals of São Paulo, Bahia and the Federal District.