Annual Member Meeting Summary

Each year, the Health Access Cooperative's board will meet with members to share how the cooperative performed, review the financials, and talk openly about what's ahead. This year's meeting was the first of its kind and it set the tone for what we hope becomes something you look forward to every spring.

This is your recap. Whether you were there or not, this is your cooperative and you deserve the full picture.

A Year Worth Talking About

The cooperative model is simple in theory: when members share risk together — without insurance company overhead — costs stay low and value stays high. In 2025, that played out in the numbers.

Membership grew from 4,289 members in January to 8,874 by year's end — a 489% increase since December 2024. The Co-op paid $5.8 million in member health expenses, from new babies to serious illness. Administrative costs ran around $21 per member per month, compared to $70–$117 for traditional insurers. And for the third year in a row, rates didn't move.

Meanwhile, marketplace silver plan premiums rose a combined 31% over the same period (KFF). Co-op members saw zero of that.

What the Cooperative Actually Did for People

The statistics tell one story. The member experiences tell another.

One member was diagnosed with a rare neurological disease. Within days, she had lost the ability to move, eat, and drink. Total bills came to approximately $300,000. Her out-of-pocket cost was $1,000 — her deductible. The Co-op covered the rest, and within months she had fully recovered.

Another family found out they were expecting twins. Twin pregnancies mean more monitoring, more appointments, and often a NICU stay — costs that can run $20,000 or more out-of-pocket under traditional insurance. With the Co-op, the family paid a single $1,000 deductible for the entire pregnancy, delivery, and postnatal care. The Co-op paid the rest directly to the hospital.

More than 120 babies were supported through the Co-op in 2025. These aren't exceptional cases. This is the model working as intended.

"We didn't have to worry about the cost. We highly recommend Health Access."
 — Maria, Co-op Member

How the Co-op Compares

For a sense of what Co-op membership is worth in dollar terms: the average family enrolled in traditional insurance is projected to pay around $29,150 in 2026. Co-op families pay $4,656–$8,256 per year. That's $20,900 to $24,500 in annual savings — money that stays with employers and employees instead of funding insurance company overhead.

Beyond premiums, the differences compound. Co-op members have no restricted provider network, no prior authorization requirements, and a maximum family out-of-pocket of $2,000 per year. Traditional insurance can run $9,400 to $18,900. Claims are paid in under 10 days on average, compared to 30–60 days with traditional insurers.

These aren't marketing claims — they're what the 2025 data shows.

The Finances: Healthy and Building

The board reviewed full 2025 financials at the meeting. The unaudited figures show $12.17 million in member contributions collected, $5.8 million paid out in member medical expenses, and $2.19 million in operating costs — leaving a cooperative surplus before year-end adjustments.

The board directed $3 million of that surplus into Member Reserve Capital, to be held in the Health Access Trust. Combined with deferred revenue — funds set aside to cover 2025 claims paid in early 2026 — $4.73 million is now positioned to support members going forward. The trust will be managed by a professional investment advisor, with a conservative mandate: protect principal, maintain liquidity, and generate a modest positive return.

The board also voted to establish the trust formally and authorize the investment advisor engagement — both passed unanimously.

One number worth highlighting on its own: $4.3 million in total member financial resources as of December 31, 2025. This is what the Co-op has available to meet member needs.

What's Ahead

The board isn't declaring victory — they're building on it. The priorities heading into the rest of 2026 are straightforward: keep rates stable, grow the member pool (a larger risk pool is a stronger one), continue investing in faster claims technology, and build the trust reserves year over year.

The goal isn't to be the biggest. It's to be the most reliable — the cooperative that members can count on when something actually goes wrong.

"I'm extremely happy with my time in the Cooperative Plan. Thank you for offering it."
 — Cara K, Co-op member

Your Annual Report

The full 2025 Annual Report is available below. It includes the complete financial statements, the benchmark comparison, member stories, and the board's full message. As a member-owner, you have every right to read it — and we'd encourage you to.

If the financials raise questions or something isn't clear, reach out. That's what this cooperative is for.

This Meeting Will Happen Every Year

The Annual Member Meeting is a fixture going forward. Each spring, you'll have a direct line to the board — to hear the numbers, ask questions, and when there are decisions to be made, to have a voice in them. This is your cooperative. That's not a tagline. It's how it actually works.

We hope to see you next year. And if you have questions between now and then, we're at cooperative@healthaccesssolutions.com.