We put your
health first.
Our team has extensive knowledge of the local healthcare landscape, understands issues and concerns facing local individuals and small employers and is involved in the surrounding communities.
If you are a small business owner, your health insurance premiums have increased 113% in the past nine years... with a negative impact on your growth.

The future of health insurance in Southeastern Wisconsin starts here.

Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative reinvents health insurance with members in mind.

Designed for small businesses, nonprofits and individuals

Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative will be the solution for thousands of small businesses, nonprofits and individuals in Southeastern Wisconsin. Common Ground Healthcare will be a nonprofit, member-governed cooperative dedicated to providing affordable health insurance solutions. Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative will serve individuals and small employers in Brown, Calumet, Door, Fond du Lac, Kenosha, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Marinette, Milwaukee, Oconto, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Racine, Shawano, Sheboygan, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha, and Winnebago counties.

A health insurance company that works for you

Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative works with health insurance providers in Southeastern Wisconsin and has applied for a license to begin offering plans January 1, 2014 that utilize the best program options. This means affordable premiums and more benefits for our members.

Our roots: understanding our community

We are an organization committed to solving the health insurance challenges individuals, nonprofits and business owners face each day. Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative was created by Common Ground, a Milwaukee-based, nonpartisan nonprofit made up of 44 member organizations committed to changing social and economic issues in Southeastern Wisconsin.

Seeking feedback from those who matter most

We are member-governed, meaning our members have a constant voice at the table; and since the cooperative is completely nonprofit, members will always know their health is put first.

And that’s something to feel good about.

Contact us for more information or to sign up.

Have more questions? See our FAQ page.

Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative announced March 11, 2013 it received their Certificate of Authority from the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance. The certificate brings the insurance cooperative one-step closer to providing innovative health insurance solutions to southeastern Wisconsin.

Meet our leaders, who believe health insurance can change for the better.

Common ground healthcare cooperative board of directors

Robert Connolly — President

Co-owner of The James Company, a fund-raising consulting firm for churches and church-related organizations, Mr. Connolly has an advanced degree in social work and spent many years working in community organizing. He serves as the president of Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative and Staff Director to Common Ground.

Jim Wesp — Vice President

Mr. Wesp is a small businessman who has developed and run businesses for 35 years. He is an active member and volunteer for St. Frances Cabrini parish in West Bend. In addition, he is member of the Common Ground health care study group and Vice President of Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative.

Cathy Mahaffey — Chief Operating Officer (COO)

With 21 years of experience in the health insurance industry, Cathy Mahaffey was instrumental in implementing the provisions of a ground-breaking state law to create the nonprofit health insurance purchasing cooperative Farmers’ Health Cooperative of Wisconsin, where she serves as the Executive Director. Ms. Mahaffey also operates an independent health insurance agency where she works with individuals and small businesses.

Robert J. De Vita — Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Until April of 2010, Mr. De Vita was the Senior Vice President and COO of Wheaton Franciscan Medical Group. Currently he is a consultant and serves on governing boards for nonprofit organizations. In addition, he is an adjunct faculty member of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Lubar School of Business.

Theresa W. Tobin — Secretary

Dr. Tobin is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Marquette University. She is a specialist in Theoretical and Practical Ethics, Global Ethics and Feminist Ethics. Currently she teaches, among other courses, undergraduate courses in Health Care Ethics and Medical Ethics.

Michelle Puzin Mooney — Treasurer

Michelle Mooney has been long involved in social justice issues, from her early work to provide low cost housing to her current activities with The Gathering of Southeast Wisconsin and as a Deacon at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, where she is responsible for outreach and Pastoral Programs.

T. Michael Bolger, JD

Mr. Bolger is the president and Emeritus of the Medical College of Wisconsin. His faculty appointment at the Medical College is adjunct professor of bioethics. He holds a law degree from Northwestern University and is currently working toward his PHD in Urban Studies from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee.

Melissa Duffy

Ms. Duffy has been dedicated to improving health care for individuals and employers. She worked for a number of years as the lead policy advisor to the Wisconsin State Senate on health care issues. She currently runs a government, media and public relations firm specializing in health care.

Kevin Kane

Mr. Kane is a Healthcare Organizer for an affiliate of Families USA, a consumer health care advocacy organization. Mr. Kane offers his experience with Marquette Economics Association, legislative work on Capitol Hill during passage of the Affordable Care Act, and knowledge of social media communication and health policy.

Harry Moseley

Mr. Moseley has had a long career in the Information Technology side of medical delivery. He retired from Aurora Medical as their Director of Information Services in 2008, however he still consults with them. Prior to this he worked with various hospital and medical companies in the US and Europe in the area of computerized information systems.

John R. Neuberger

Currently the Director of Client Partnership at Quad/Graphics, Mr. Neuberger has experience in building and regulating health care. He has engineered a coordinated health care plan for a large national company with multiple locations, resulting in a single plan for its employees.

James Rabbitt

Director of Government Relations, Cooperate Network and former head of the Wisconsin Bureau of Consumer Affairs, Mr. Rabbitt is an expert in State and Federal regulations regarding health care and consumer cooperatives. He has also served as a policy analyst.

Timothy Vellinga, MD

Dr. Vellinga is in private practice as a Cardiovascular Interventionist. He is able to practice at numerous hospitals in Southeastern Wisconsin, including Aurora St. Luke’s, West Allis Memorial, The Wisconsin Heart Hospital and St. Francis Hospital.

Join us

Be first to experience health insurance that works for you.

We put your health first.

Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative officially launches January 1, 2014. Please join us as we bring a new solution to health insurance in Wisconsin. Sign up here to get updates and more information. You can also Like us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter for the the most current updates.

Job opportunities

Join us on the front line fighting for a better health insurance solution.

Work with us.

We are proud to not only offer solutions to small businesses, nonprofits and individuals, but also create jobs in Southeastern Wisconsin. Don’t see something you like? Provide your contact information to be added to our database for future positions.


Job Openings

Job Openings

Quality Improvement Manager

Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative, Brookfield, WI is seeking a Quality Improvement Manager who will lead activities related to Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative’s (CGHC) initiative to attain accreditation by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The Quality Improvement Manager is responsible for the organization’s compliance with state and federal regulatory requirements, contractual obligations, and corporate policy by the organization's quality improvement program and will oversee the organization’s medical management activities and will assist with member appeals and grievances. The ideal candidate will meet the following qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in health sciences, healthcare administration or other relevant field
  • Active Registered Nurse (RN) license in the State of Wisconsin
  • Minimum of three years of experience in clinical management
  • Minimum of three years of experience in utilization / quality management
  • Demonstrated knowledge of health plan accreditation including National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) accreditation, state and federal regulatory standards, regulatory reviews, and Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS)
  • A proven record of facilitating quality improvement activities, providing project management, data analysis and measurement of outcomes, and documenting and reporting the results of quality improvement initiatives

Qualified applications should send their cover letter, resume and salary requirements to Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative, Attn: Hiring Manager 120 Bishop’s Way, Suite 150, Brookfield, WI 53005 or to info@commongroundhealthcare.org

Job Openings

Senior Accountant

Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative, Brookfield, WI is seeking a Senior Accountant who will maintain general ledger accounts and related activities for the production of financial statements and reports in accordance with GAAP and perform all general accounting duties to include accounts payable, accounts receivable, bank reconciliation, month-end accruals and month-end analysis as well as be responsible for all statutory financial reporting and investment accounting. In addition, this position will analyze and prepare financial statements, including balance sheets and statements of financial position for multiple product segments. The Senior Accountant will work to coordinate outside audits and will work with the audit firm to prepare documentation in support of external audits.

The ideal candidate will meet the following qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Accounting; CPA preferred
  • Minimum of 3 to 5 years of experience in health insurance preparing statutory reporting requirements as well as production of GAAP financial statements
  • Knowledge of the Affordable Care Act and the ramifications to reporting requirements of the NAIC and OCI

Qualified applications should send their cover letter, resume and salary requirements to Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative, Attn: Hiring Manager 120 Bishop’s Way, Suite 150, Brookfield, WI 53005 or to info@commongroundhealthcare.org

Job Openings

Project Management Consultant

Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative, Brookfield, WI, a new non-profit health insurance cooperative, is looking for a Project Management Consultant who wants to be part of a unique opportunity to get involved at the ground level and assist a start-up organization. The Project Management Consultant will direct and coordinate the activities related to the implementation of a Third Party Administrator (TPA). The TPA will perform back office operations including enrollment, premium billing and collection and claims adjudication. The Project Management Consultant will ensure that the goals and objectives of the implementation are accomplished within the prescribed time frame. Competitive compensation will be offered.

The ideal candidate will meet the following qualifications:

  • Minimum of 5 years of experience in health insurance, specifically with claims processing systems implementation
  • Minimum of 3 years of project management experience
  • Strong knowledge of health insurance business processes
  • Experience leading implementations and working with vendors
  • Demonstrated competency in project management
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Qualified applications should send their cover letter, resume and salary requirements to Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative, Attn: Hiring Manager 120 Bishop’s Way, Suite 150, Brookfield, WI 53005 or to info@commongroundhealthcare.org

Job Openings

Business Systems Analyst

Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative, Brookfield, WI, a new non-profit health insurance cooperative, is looking for a Business Systems Analyst to become a valued member of our team. This is a unique opportunity to get involved at the ground level of a start-up organization. The Business Systems Analyst will support business strategy and ensure that technology solutions are aligned with business functions, processes, and organizational structure. This position is also responsible for ensuring the quality of IT Solutions through testing activities including but not limited to: test strategy and planning, test execution, and defect tracking and remediation. Competitive compensation will be offered.

The ideal candidate will meet the following qualifications:

  • Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in a Business or Technology related field, or equivalent work experience
  • Minimum of 3 years of business analysis, process improvement/engineering, and/or quality assurance/testing experience. Health insurance payor experience a plus
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • Ability to interact professionally with a diverse group of executives, managers, subject matter experts, and vendors
  • Strong analytical thinking and problem solving skills
  • Ability to successfully engage in multiple initiatives simultaneously
  • Willingness to work individually and as part of a team to achieve business objectives
  • Ability to work in a fast-paced, flexible environment, and comfortable with change
  • Ability to quickly gain familiarity with systems and projects assigned

Qualified applications should send their cover letter, resume and salary requirements to Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative, Attn: Hiring Manager 120 Bishop’s Way, Suite 150, Brookfield, WI 53005 or to info@commongroundhealthcare.org

Contact us

It’s our mission to provide better health insurance options for our members.

Have questions or comments?
We’re here to help.

Common Ground
Healthcare Cooperative

120 Bishop’s Way, Suite 150
Brookfield, WI 53005-6271

Toll free: 1 (877) 450-8497
Phone: 1 (414) 455-0500
Fax: 1 (262) 754-9690

info@commongroundhealthcare.org

Media Queries

Please contact
Bob De Vita
(414) 219-9994


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Learn more about Southeastern Wisconsin Common Ground, our initiatives and campaigns.


Southeastern Wisconsin Common Ground
Survey

We are conducting a brief survey of individuals who are responsible for selecting and purchasing health insurance for their organizations.

The purpose of the survey is to gather information regarding your current health insurance program.

Thank you for your participation. Your answers will help us create a better health insurance company.

You can find the survey here.

The survey is not an application for insurance. As we continue to build our products for launch in October 2013, we will be more than happy to allow individuals to provide contact information for periodic updates.