What's it like once you join Medi-Share? There are many customer service options for speaking directly with representatives over phone or email. With that said, most of what you'll want to do on a day-to-day basis is done either automatically or through their member's portal.

The easiest way to make your monthly payment, for example, is to have it automatically debited from your bank account. Here's the most recent payment for our family:

​$177 per month is all that we pay for our family of three, and we have it set to be paid each month from our Bank of America account. 

When you go to Medi-Share logged in as a member, here are the options you see in the Member Center:
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​See a Doctor Now: Free 24/7 Online Doctor Appointments as discussed here.

Find a Provider: Search easily for an in-network doctor or specialist near you as discussed more here.

EFT/Auto Payments: Setting up the automatic payments we talked about earlier in this blog entry.

Forms: For example, if you'd like to change your AHP (deductible) at any time there is an online form for this.

Guidelines: If you're unsure about whether a particular type of medical expense will be eligible for sharing, find out right away in the guidelines section.

ID Cards: You can print out extra copies of your main Medi-Share Christian Health Insurance card or Dental/Vision card.

Medical Bill Status: As soon as Medi-Share receives your medical bill, they will add it to your member portal for you to be able to see what you were charged for, how much of a discount they negotiated, and and any amount that you still have to pay (such as before you've reached your AHP).

Refer a Friend: Medi-Share's referral program. My family and I are part of this program by the way, and if you or any friends/family are considering joining, we would be so grateful if you used our link to learn more information.

Medi-Share runs a charity program to pay for the medical expenses of families in need. It's called Extra Blessings. Our referrals allow us to make a monthly donation to fund this program as well as to continue maintaining this Medi-Share Reviews Site.

Today's topic is the Trump tax plan and the removal of the individual mandate. This change would mean that there would no longer be a requirement to have health insurance or be a member of a healthcare sharing ministry, and those choosing to remain uninsured wouldn't have to pay an Obamacare penalty. 

Reader Geoff R. from San Diego, CA wrote in to me with a question; with his permission, I share it here and offer my reply.

I've been looking into Medi Share and see on their site and yours that it's not insurance. I read the explanation but still don't quite get it. If you join, you pay a certain amount every month, and then they pay your medical bills. In what way is this not insurance?
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Having a family is an incredible blessing. 

The process of navigating maternity healthcare, however, can be very difficult. The ultrasounds, doctor appointments, and lab work can easily cost $5,000 or more. Then the actual birth, typically costing at least $10,000. 

Medi-Share can help with maternity in three important ways.

Maternity Bills are Eligible for Sharing. So long as you're a member of Medi-Share at the time of conception, in a Christian marriage, then your maternity bills are eligible for sharing. What this means is that if you have paid more than your AHP (Annual Household Portion -- like a deductible), then your bills we be paid by Medi-Share. Even if your AHP is the highest level of $10,000, you will almost certainly exceed this amount during the pregnancy and have all subsequent bills paid in full.

Negotiation of Discounts. We have detailed elsewhere that Medi-Share will usually negotiate significant discounts from your bills before you have reached your AHP. This is the same with maternity. Blood work and ultrasounds, for example, are often discounted by 50% or more. 

​Ease of Use. If you're required to prepay for treatment, Medi-Share will still reimburse you (or have the provider reimburse you) if it's an expense that qualifies for sharing. If an unexpected procedure is necessary, you don't need pre-approval like most insurance companies require. And there is a dedicated Maternity phone number to answer any questions that you may have.

If you are considering starting a family, that is another good reason to look into joining Medi-Share.

We here at Medi-Share Reviews have a tremendous amount of respect for Christian personal finance guru Dave Ramsey. His advice on home ownership, investing, budgeting, and taxes is well-informed and comes from an honest and knowledgeable Christian perspective.

Reader Luke H. has written in to point out that Mr. Ramsey has in fact discussed Christian healthcare sharing ministries, and Medi-Share specifically, on his site.

After praising Christian healthcare sharing ministries in general, calling most of them "very reliable," Mr. Ramsey singles out Medi-Share's "great reputation."

He then points out correctly that Christian health insurance alternatives are not insurance and don't face the same regulations as insurance companies. What this means is that you need one that has a long track record of serving its members, such as the 28 years that Medi-Share has been providing affordable healthcare sharing. 
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​By the way, in case Mr. Ramsey's post isn't available when you click on it, here are his exact words:

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The reason why Mr. Ramsey correctly advises his readers to be careful is because Christian healthcare sharing ministries are not insurance, a point that we talk about more in our post: "What is Christian Health Insurance?" As well as our main YouTube MediShare review, we also have our newer YouTube video specifically on Medi-Share Reviews and Dave Ramsey.

If you believe in Dave Ramsey's advice and are looking for an inexpensive health insurance alternative, please request your free info packet directly from Medi-Share, providing many more details and telling you exactly how much you would pay each month as a member.

What is your favorite Dave Ramsey wisdom?
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The term "Christian health insurance" is an interesting one because it doesn't mean what it appears to: health insurance for Christians. The reason is that it isn't traditional insurance. 

​Here are the benefits of Medi-Share compared to traditional insurance or being uninsured:

• You will save an average of about 63% per year compared to normal insurance. 
• Even if you haven't met your AHP (deductible), Medi-Share will negotiate a discount of up to 80-90% on your bill.
• Free 24/7 online doctor appointments
• No Obamacare penalty for being uninsured
• Prayer, help, and guidance from Medi-Share itself and fellow members as desired.

For more details, please read our main Medi-Share review, or watch the Medi-Share video review, providing complete information on how Medi-Share works. ​​If you have any questions, please feel free to leave them as a comment on this blog and I'll be happy to reply and answer. 

Today we're going to break down what the term "Christian Health Insurance" really means.  As we'll see, it's actually a Christian alternative to health insurance.  Then we'll talk about how it works.

When most people say Christian Health Insurance, they actually mean the same healthcare sharing ministries we've talked about in the last two blog entries: see here and here.  Let's discuss the two components individually.

Christian health insurance is Christian because it only allows Christians to join.  In the application process, you will be asked about your faith, and must give your word about your religious beliefs and church attendance.  It is based on a system of trust.  

One of the reasons why this trust is so important is because the members themselves vote -- on an annual basis -- exactly what medical expenses should be eligible under the program.  And ones pertaining to un-Christian behavior, such as drug rehab or pregnancy out of wedlock, are not covered.

Additionally, you are given the opportunity to send messages of support and prayer for those in the program your monthly payments are benefiting.  And conversely, you will receive a network of support and prayer when you need it.  

So that is the religious component of Christian Health Insurance.   Now let's look at the insurance component.

The answer is "No," and believe me that when you apply, you will be told this more times than you can probably count!

Healthcare sharing ministries do not act like insurance companies that have armies of actuaries calculating how high premiums must be to ensure sufficient profit.  They are not subject to the same intensive regulations whose costs are ultimately passed on to consumer.  And  nor do they make the same guarantees of payment.

Instead, they have a network of members who pay each other's medical bills.  The system functions very similarly to conventional insurance.  You will pay a fixed monthly amount, which depends on your age, health, deductible, and how many are in your family.  This amount acts like the premium.

You will pay a certain amount for each doctor or emergency room visit.  This amount acts like the copay.

You will only have your medical bills paid once you have already spent a certain amount in the year.  This amount acts like the deductible.  

For more details on exactly how one healthcare sharing ministry works, feel free to look at our MediShare review, which goes into more detail.