Chapter 185

185.96 185.96 Application of chapter.

185.96(1) (1) After June 30, 1956, this chapter applies to all cooperatives. Any cooperative may elect to become subject to this chapter before said date by adopting an amendment to its articles making such election. All cooperatives formed after July 13, 1955 shall be formed under this chapter.

185.96(2) (2) After January 1, 1956, this chapter applies to all foreign cooperatives.

185.96(3) (3) Application of this chapter to associations existing before July 13, 1955 does not affect property rights of stockholders or members in such associations which were accrued or established at such time, nor does it affect any liability enforceable at such time, nor does it affect the validity or enforceability of contracts existing before such time.

185.96(4) (4) Section 185.48 dealing with annual reports shall apply to all cooperatives on July 13, 1955.

185.96 History History: 1985 a. 30 s. 42.

185.97 185.97 Title. This chapter may be cited as the “Wisconsin Cooperative Association Act”.

185.97 History History: 1985 a. 30 s. 42.

185.981 185.981 Cooperative health care.

185.981(1) (1) Cooperative associations may be organized under this chapter without capital stock, primarily to establish and operate in the state or in any county or counties in the state nonprofit plans or programs for health care, including hospital care, for their members and their members’ dependents through contracts with physicians, medical societies, chiropractors, optometrists, dentists, dental societies, hospitals, podiatrists, and others.

185.981(2) (2) A cooperative association organized under this section shall operate only on a cooperative nonprofit basis and for the primary purpose of establishing, maintaining, and operating a voluntary nonprofit health, dental, or vision care plan or plans, or for constructing, operating, and maintaining nonprofit hospitals or other facilities whereby health care, including hospital, dental, or vision care, is provided to its members and to other persons or groups of persons who become subscribers to the plans, subject to s. 185.982 (2), under contracts that provide access to medical, surgical, chiropractic, vision, dental, or hospital care, other health care services, appliances, and supplies, by physicians and surgeons licensed and registered under ch. 448, podiatrists licensed under ch. 448, optometrists licensed under ch. 449, chiropractors licensed under ch. 446, dentists licensed under ch. 447, and other health care providers in their offices, in hospitals, in other facilities, and in the home. Nothing in this subsection precludes a cooperative association organized under this section from owning an interest in other entities for enhancing or improving member services or for investment or other purposes, as long as the association’s primary purpose remains as provided in this subsection.

185.981(3) (3) No cooperative association organized primarily for the purposes provided in ss. 185.981 to 185.983 shall be prevented from contracting with any hospital in this state for the rendition of such hospital care as is included within the cooperative association’s plans because the hospital participates in a plan of any other cooperative association, or in a plan organized and operated under ss. 148.03 and 613.80. No hospital may discriminate against any physician and surgeon, chiropractor, dentist, or podiatrist with respect to the use of the hospital’s facilities by reason of his or her participation in a health care plan of a cooperative.

185.981(4) (4) 

185.981(4)(a) (a) Except as provided in par. (b), no contract by or on behalf of any such cooperative association shall provide for the payment of any cash, indemnity, or other material benefit by that association to the subscriber or the subscriber’s estate on account of death, illness, or injury, but any such association may stipulate in its plans that it will pay any nonparticipating physician and surgeon, optometrist, chiropractor, dentist, podiatrist, hospital, or other provider for hospital or other health care rendered to any covered person who is in need of a plan’s benefits. The plans may prescribe monetary limitations with respect to the benefits.

185.981(4)(b) (b) A cooperative association may make a payment in cash, indemnity, or other material benefit for a purpose that is incidental to its plans, including for the purpose of administering coordination of benefits.

185.981(5) (5) Every cooperative association organized under this section is a charitable and benevolent corporation.

185.981(7) (7) Notwithstanding sub. (4) and ss. 185.982 (1) and 185.983 (1), a health care plan that is operated by a cooperative association and that qualifies as a health maintenance organization, as defined in s. 609.01 (2), is subject to s. 609.655.

185.981(8) (8) Coverage by a health care plan operated by a cooperative association that qualifies as a health maintenance organization, as defined in s. 609.01 (2), of mammograms under s. 632.895 (8) may be subject to any requirements that the health care plan imposes under s. 609.05 (2) and (3) on the coverage of other health care services obtained by members and their dependents.

185.981(9) (9) Coverage by a health care plan operated by a cooperative association that qualifies as a health maintenance organization, as defined in s. 609.01 (2), of health care services obtained by adopted children and children placed for adoption may be subject to any requirements that the health care plan imposes under s. 609.05 (2) and (3) on the coverage of health care services obtained by other members and their dependents.

185.981 History History: 1971 c. 40 s. 93; 1971 c. 307 s. 118; 1975 c. 98; 1975 c. 223 s. 28; 1975 c. 224 s. 146; 1975 c. 421; 1981 c. 39 s. 22; 1981 c. 205; 1981 c. 391 s. 210; 1985 a. 29; 1985 a. 30 s. 42; 1987 a. 27 ss. 1917e, 3202 (47) (a); 1987 a. 312 s. 17; 1989 a. 121, 129, 200, 201, 336; 1991 a. 39, 123, 269; 1993 a. 27, 450, 481; 1995 a. 27, 118, 289; 1997 a. 27, 155, 237; 1999 a. 95, 115; 2003 a. 321; 2005 a. 194; 2007 a. 36; 2009 a. 14, 28, 113, 146, 165.

185.982 185.982 Manner of practicing medicine, chiropractic and dentistry; payment; promotional expense.

185.982(1) (1) No health care plan or contract issued by a cooperative association shall interfere with the manner or mode of the practice of medicine, optometry, chiropractic, dentistry, or podiatry, the manner or mode of providing wellness or other services, the relationship of physician, chiropractor, optometrist, dentist, podiatrist, or other provider and patient, nor the responsibility of physician, chiropractor, optometrist, dentist, podiatrist, or other provider to patient. Plans may require persons covered to utilize health care providers designated by the cooperative association. The cooperative association may provide health care services directly through providers who are employees of the cooperative association or through agreements with individual providers or groups of providers organized on a group practice or individual practice basis.

185.982(2) (2) Any cooperative association operating voluntary health care plans under the provisions of this chapter may pay physicians and surgeons, optometrists, chiropractors, dentists, or other providers on a salary, per person, or fee-for-service basis to provide health care to members of the association. Every cooperative association may offer its health care services to nonmembers. Any cooperative association that operates a hospital may make the hospital’s facilities available to nonmembers and to nonparticipating physicians, optometrists, dentists, or other providers.

185.982 History History: 1981 c. 205; 1987 a. 27; 2009 a. 113, 165; 2013 a. 173 s. 33.

185.983 185.983 Requirements of plan.

185.983(1) (1) Every voluntary nonprofit health care plan operated by a cooperative association organized under s. 185.981 shall be exempt from chs. 600 to 646, with the exception of ss. 601.04, 601.13, 601.31, 601.41, 601.42, 601.43, 601.44, 601.45, 611.26, 611.67, 619.04, 623.11, 623.12, 628.34 (10), 631.17, 631.89, 631.93, 631.95, 632.72 (2), 632.722, 632.729, 632.745 to 632.749, 632.775, 632.79, 632.795, 632.798, 632.85, 632.853, 632.855, 632.861, 632.867, 632.87 (2) to (6), 632.885, 632.89, 632.895 (5) and (8) to (17), 632.896, and 632.897 (10) and chs. 609, 620, 630, 635, 645, and 646, but the sponsoring association shall:

185.983(1)(a) (a) File with the commissioner of insurance a declaration defining the organization and operation of the plan, all printed literature, and specimen copies of all proposed contracts of insurance with persons covered and with participating physicians, hospitals, and other providers, including all amendments thereto. The form of all such contracts and amendments shall be subject to approval by the commissioner of insurance but the commissioner may not withhold approval if the form of the contracts or changes in the contracts comply with the provisions of ss. 185.981 to 185.985.

185.983(1)(b) (b) Provide for like rates, benefits, terms and conditions for all persons in the same class.

185.983(1)(c) (c) Invest its funds only in property and securities approved for domestic life insurance companies.

185.983(1)(d) (d) File with the commissioner of insurance, on such forms as may be prescribed by the commissioner, an annual report of its financial condition as of December 31 each year, on or before the last day of February following.

185.983(1)(e) (e) Maintain sufficient reserves to discharge its obligations, having regard for the nature of its contracts and the area and number of persons covered.

185.983(1g) (1g) A cooperative association that is a small employer insurer, as defined in s. 635.02 (8), is subject to the health insurance mandates, as defined in s. 601.423 (1), to the same extent as any other small employer insurer, as defined in s. 635.02 (8).

185.983(1m) (1m) In addition to ss. 601.04, 601.31, 632.79, and 632.895 (5), the commissioner of insurance may by rule subject a medicare supplement policy, as defined in s. 600.03 (28r), a medicare replacement policy, as defined in s. 600.03 (28p), or a long-term care insurance policy, as defined in s. 600.03 (28g), that is sold by a cooperative health care association organized under s. 185.981 to other provisions of chs. 600 to 646, except that the commissioner may not subject a medicare supplement policy, a medicare replacement policy, or a long-term care insurance policy to s. 632.895 (8).

185.983(2) (2) Every voluntary nonprofit health care plan operated by a cooperative association organized under s. 185.981 shall make provision for a minimum of one physician and surgeon, or dentist to each 2,000 persons covered for medical or dental care and a minimum of 6 hospital beds for each 2,000 persons covered for hospital care.

185.983(3) (3) 

185.983(3)(a) (a) A plan that provides coverage of pharmaceutical services when performed by one or more pharmacists who are designated by the cooperative association but who are not full-time salaried employees of the cooperative association shall provide an annual period of at least 30 days during which any pharmacist registered under ch. 450 may elect to participate in the plan under its terms as a designated health care provider for at least one year.

185.983(3)(b) (b) Except as provided in par. (c), par. (a) applies to plans on and after May 10, 1984.

185.983(3)(c) (c) If compliance with the requirements of par. (a) during the period specified in par. (b) would impair any provision of a contract between a cooperative association and any other person, and if the contract provision was in existence prior to May 10, 1984, then immediately after the expiration of all such contract provisions the plan operated by the cooperative association shall comply with the requirements of par. (a).

185.983 History History: 1975 c. 98; 1975 c. 224 s. 146; 1975 c. 352; 1975 c. 422 s. 163; 1977 c. 339; 1979 c. 89; 1981 c. 20; 1981 c. 39 s. 22; 1981 c. 82; 1981 c. 391 s. 210; 1983 a. 189 s. 329 (25); 1983 a. 396; 1985 a. 29 ss. 2060d to 2060r, 3202 (30); 1987 a. 27, 325; 1989 a. 23, 31, 129, 200, 201, 336, 359; 1991 a. 39, 189, 250, 269, 315; 1993 a. 450, 481, 482; 1995 a. 289; 1997 a. 27, 155, 237; 1999 a. 95, 115; 2003 a. 321; 2005 a. 194; 2007 a. 36; 2009 a. 14, 28, 146, 165, 218, 346; 2011 a. 260; 2013 a. 186; 2017 a. 30; 2019 a. 185; 2021 a. 9; 2023 a. 91.

185.985 185.985 Inconsistent provisions of the statutes. Health care or hospital plans operated by cooperative associations organized under this chapter shall be operated exclusively under the provisions of ss. 185.981 to 185.985. Other provisions of the statutes that are inconsistent with any of those provisions shall not be applicable to cooperative associations or health care plans operated by cooperative associations under this chapter.

185.985 History History: 1985 a. 30 s. 42; 2009 a. 165.

185.99 185.99 Health benefit purchasing cooperatives.

185.99(1) (1) Definitions. In this section:

185.99(1)(a) (a) “Commissioner” means the commissioner of insurance.

185.99(1)(b) (b) “Eligible employee” has the meaning given in s. 632.745 (5) (a).

185.99(1)(c) (c) “Person” means any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, cooperative, association, trade or labor organization, city, village, town, county, or self-employed individual.

185.99(2) (2) Organization and purpose.

185.99(2)(a) (a) Notwithstanding s. 185.02, health benefit purchasing cooperatives may be organized under this chapter in each of the geographic areas designated under sub. (6). Notwithstanding s. 185.043, a health benefit purchasing cooperative may be formed by one or more persons.

185.99(2)(b) (b) The purpose of a health benefit purchasing cooperative is to provide health care benefits for the individuals specified in sub. (4) (a) 1. to 3., under a single group health care policy or plan through a contract between the health benefit purchasing cooperative and an insurer authorized to do business in this state in one or more lines of insurance that includes health insurance.

185.99(2)(c) (c) A health benefit purchasing cooperative shall be designed so that all of the following are accomplished:

185.99(2)(c)1. 1. The members become better informed about health care trends and cost increases.

185.99(2)(c)2. 2. All members receive their health care benefits under the group health care policy or plan negotiated under sub. (4) (a).

185.99(2)(c)3. 3. The members are actively engaged in designing health care benefit options that are offered by the insurer and that meet the needs of their community.

185.99(2)(c)4. 4. The health insurance risk of all of the members is pooled.

185.99(2)(c)5. 5. The members actively participate in health improvement decisions for their community.

185.99(2m) (2m) Temporary board of directors. Notwithstanding s. 185.05 (1) (m), the articles of a health benefit purchasing cooperative shall set forth the name and address of at least one incorporator who will act as the temporary board.

185.99(3) (3) Cooperative membership.

185.99(3)(a) (a) Notwithstanding s. 185.11 (1), each health benefit purchasing cooperative shall be organized on a membership basis with no capital stock.

185.99(3)(b) (b) Subject to par. (c), any person that does business in, is located in, has a principal office in, or resides in the geographic area in which a health benefit purchasing cooperative is organized, that meets the membership criteria established by the health benefit purchasing cooperative in its bylaws, and that pays the membership fee may be a member of the health benefit purchasing cooperative.

185.99(3)(c) (c) A health benefit cooperative may limit membership of self-employed individuals through its membership criteria, but such criteria must be applied in the same manner to all self-employed individuals.

185.99(3)(d) (d) Each health benefit purchasing cooperative shall file its membership criteria, as well as any amendments to the criteria, with the commissioner.

185.99(4) (4) Health care benefits.

185.99(4)(a) (a) The health care benefits offered by a health benefit purchasing cooperative shall be negotiated between the health benefit purchasing cooperative and the insurer and shall be offered in a single group health care policy or plan. The insurer must offer coverage under the group health care policy or plan to all of the following:

185.99(4)(a)1. 1. An individual who is a member, officer, or eligible employee of a member of the health benefit purchasing cooperative.

185.99(4)(a)2. 2. A self-employed individual who is a member of the health benefit purchasing cooperative.

185.99(4)(a)3. 3. A dependent of an individual under subd. 1. or 2. who receives coverage.

185.99(4)(b) (b) The contract between the health benefit purchasing cooperative and an insurer shall be for a term of 3 years. Upon enrollment in the insurer’s group health care policy or plan, each member shall pay to the health benefit purchasing cooperative an amount determined by the health benefit purchasing cooperative that is not less than the member’s applicable premium for the 36th month of coverage under the contract. If a member withdraws from the health benefit purchasing cooperative before the end of the contract term, the health benefit purchasing cooperative may retain, as a penalty, an amount specified by the health benefit purchasing cooperative that is not less than the premium that the member paid for the 36th month of coverage.

185.99(4)(c) (c) An insurer that contracts under this section with a health benefit purchasing cooperative that provides health care benefits for more than 50 individuals who are members or employees of one or more members is not a small employer insurer, as defined in s. 635.02 (8), with respect to the contract between the insurer and the health benefit purchasing cooperative.

185.99(5) (5) Required reports. Each health benefit purchasing cooperative shall submit to the legislature under s. 13.172 (2) and to the commissioner all of the following:

185.99(5)(a) (a) Annually, no later than September 30, a report on the progress of the health benefit purchasing arrangement described in this section and, to the extent possible, any significant findings in the criteria under par. (b) 1. to 3.

185.99(5)(b) (b) Within one year after the end of the term of the contract under sub. (4) (b), a final report that details significant findings from the project and that includes, at a minimum, to the extent available, information on all of the following:

185.99(5)(b)1. 1. The extent to which the health benefit purchasing arrangement had an impact on the number of uninsured in the geographic area in which it operated.

185.99(5)(b)2. 2. The effect on health care coverage premiums for groups in the geographic area in which the health benefit purchasing arrangement operated, including groups other than the health benefit purchasing cooperative.

185.99(5)(b)3. 3. The degree to which health care consumers were involved in the development and implementation of the health benefit purchasing arrangement.

185.99(6) (6) Designation of geographic areas. After consultation with Cooperative Network, the commissioner shall designate, by order, the geographic areas of the state in which health benefit purchasing cooperatives may be organized. A geographic area may overlap with one or more other geographic areas.

185.99 History History: 2003 a. 101; 2005 a. 30, 231; 2015 a. 186.

185.995 185.995 Extensions of credit by electric cooperatives for certain projects.

185.995(1) (1) In this section:

185.995(1)(a) (a) “Electric cooperative” means an association incorporated under this chapter or authorized to do business in this state that carries on the business of generating, transmitting, or distributing electric energy to its members at wholesale or retail.

185.995(1)(b) (b) “Notice of electric account charge” means the written notice by which subsequent purchasers or tenants will be given notice that they will be required to pay a project electric account charge.

185.995(1)(c) (c) “Project electric account charge” means the charge placed on a member’s account by which an electric cooperative may recover costs, including financing costs of qualifying expenses.

185.995(1)(d) (d) “Qualifying expenses” means expenses associated with a qualifying project, including any purchase price or installation cost.

185.995(1)(e) (e) “Qualifying project” means any project relating to energy efficiency, energy conservation, electric safety, or emergency back-up generation.

185.995(2) (2) 

185.995(2)(a) (a) An electric cooperative’s extension of credit to its member or its member’s landlord to finance qualifying expenses is not subject to chs. 421 to 426 if the electric cooperative enters into a written agreement with the member or the member’s landlord covering the extension of credit and if the written agreement satisfies all requirements under pars. (b) and (c).

185.995(2)(b) (b) The written agreement under par. (a) may not contain any provision that does any of the following:

185.995(2)(b)1. 1. Requires a schedule of payments under which any one payment is not substantially equal to all other payments or under which the intervals between any consecutive payments differ substantially. This subdivision does not apply to any of the following:

185.995(2)(b)1.a. a. A down payment related to the qualifying project that is excluded from the amount being financed.

185.995(2)(b)1.b. b. A final scheduled payment that is not more than 5 percent greater than the average amount of the other, substantially equal, scheduled payments.