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. 

The two largest healthcare sharing ministries (HCSMs) are MediShare and Samaritan Ministries International (SMI). We'll compare these alternative healthcare options using five important criteria, deciding which has the advantage for each.  

Monthly payments in MediShare range from roughly $30 to $800.  Monthly payments in SMI range from roughly $180 to $405.  Of course, you're getting different benefits depending on which HCSM you choose and which plan.  But one nice advantage to having lower-priced options is that if you are signing up to avoid the ObamaCare penalty, you can do that very inexpensively through MediShare (often for less than the 2016 penalty would be).

Advantage: MediShare

     

Technically this is inaccurate, as neither program is standard insurance with copays and deductibles.  But the two HCSMs function similarly to insurance with different structures.  In MediShare, different plans have different deductibles (called an annual household portion), and the copay (called a provider payment) is always $35 for doctor/hospital visits, and $135 for emergency room visits.  In SMI, you pay a flat $300 per visit, and the rest (up to $250,000) is covered.  This is like having no deductible and a $300 copay.

Either of these types of plans could be better depending on your particular situation.

Advantage: None.

If you belong to SMI, you must send in your medical bills yourself.  Whereas your health care provider sends the bills directly to MediShare for processing.

Advantage: MediShare

MediShare has a large network, but if you want to see a doctor outside of that network, you must pay a fee to do so.  With SMI, there is no network and you can see any doctor without penalty.

Advantage: SMI

MediShare has no maximum amount per claim, whereas the maximum is $250,000 for SMI -- above that you have to pay yourself.  So with SMI, this could leave you open to a very large bill in the event of catastrophe.

Advantage: MediShare



So which is the better HCSM overall?  I believe the answer is MediShare, but only you can judge for yourself and your family.  

Which HCSM do you belong to, and are you happy with them?  

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.

Hi, my name is Collin, and I'm launching this site because I wanted to help others looking for affordable healthcare, Christian health insurance, and other alternatives to Obamacare.  

Perhaps you're like me:

Do you believe that it should be your decision how best to provide for your family's healthcare?

Do you believe that conventional health insurance is too expensive and too impersonal?

Do you believe there should be affordable medical care for you and your family?

I believe all these things.  That's why I was very happy to discover that there is an excellent alternative to conventional health insurance, called Healthcare Sharing Ministries (HSMs).  

I plan to discuss this topic in much more depth in future blog entries.  But as a starting point, here are some of the benefits of healthcare sharing ministries:

1. Belonging to an HSM will immediately exempt you from Obamacare and the highly punitive Obamacare penalty.  More on this in the next blog entry.

2. Most will pay substantially less compared to conventional health insurance.

3. You will become part of a personal and caring network of fellow members.  

4. Access to a vast network of doctors.  

5. A convenient system where bills are automatically submitted for payment.  

The reason this site is called "MediShare Reviews" is because the particular HSM my wife and I joined is called MediShare, and we have loved it so far.  I would like to find and publish others' experiences with MediShare and compile many reviews.  So please get in touch if you're also a member.  

The other goal of this blog will be to discuss other HSMs and alternatives to conventional health insurance.  I hope you keep reading!