Medi-Share Complaints

The Most Common MediShare Complaints

1/15/2019

I want people to see this site and come to it when they're considering joining a Christian healthcare sharing ministry. I want everyone to see how huge a blessing Medi-Share has been to us and so many families like us -- thousands of dollars in yearly savings, exceptional support, and true compassion.

One thing I do as part of this mission is try to understand any possible concerns or problems people have when it comes to Medi-Share. Potential new members will often search to learn about any complaints, which is the smart thing to do -- before trusting your family's health, you need to do your due diligence!

First, let's begin with the Better Business Bureau.

Medi-Share's BBB Status

Medi-Share has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau as of 2020. After 26 years of consistently getting its members' medical bills paid, with hundreds of thousands of current members, there are only 14 complaints currently on file with the BBB. For comparison, Esurance has over 300 complaints in the past three years alone with an A- rating, and Aetna has almost 600 complaints.

MediShare BBB Reviews from Better Business Bureau

So when it comes to the BBB, Medi-Share has the highest possible rating and very few complaints relative to the number of members they have.

Medi-Share Health Insurance Complaints

On Google, it appears that some people are searching specifically for health insurance complaints. It is important to keep in mind that while Medi-Share acts very similarly to insurance in most ways, there are important differences between health insurance and Medi-Share.

Every member of Medi-Share that I personally know has loved their experience, but with that said, here are the three most common complaints I've seen online along with my responses to them.

Medi-Share Didn't Accept Me

If you look at the Medi-Share BBB complaints, this is the top one -- someone completed the application and wasn't accepted into Medi-Share. (They wanted their $50 application fee refunded as well, which Medi-Share replied promptly saying that they had done.) This is one of the differences between Medi-Share and insurance. Typically the way insurance works is that the questions they ask when you join are just to set the price. They don't care if you smoke, for example, so long as you're willing to pay more.

To become accepted as a Medi-Share member, you must meet certain standards such as living a Christian way of life. You will be asked about this on the application including your denomination and whether you do drugs or have other non-Christian habits. If you do, it's not a matter of price -- they simply won't accept you.

Medi-Share Requires In-Network Treatment from Doctors and Hospitals

While you can actually use any doctor, hospital, lab, or treatment facility you'd like as a Medi-Share member, what's true is that the ones that are in-network will be at by far the lowest cost with the largest negotiated discounts. Keep in mind that Medi-Share's PHCS network of doctors is tremendous. We have always had a very easy time finding in-network doctors or specialists.

So if you want to pay the minimum, just use the easy search feature to find the closest in-network doctors and specialists.

Medi-Share Didn't Pay My Bill

Members of Medi-Share vote on what expenses are eligible for sharing. Some expenses are eligible that normally wouldn't be with traditional insurance. See my family's cranial band story here for an example. Other expenses work the other way. For example, prescription drugs and chiropractors are examples of expenses that can be eligible for sharing but with limitations.

Remember you can always Google or look at the guidelines to find if a particular type of expense is eligible for sharing. If you're ever not sure, give Medi-Share a call or do the online chat option, and you'll usually be talking with a representative in a few minutes or less.

As Dave Ramsey has pointed out, Medi-Share has the longest and most consistent track record of paying member bills of all the Christian healthcare sharing ministries. So long as it's a normal medical expense eligible for sharing, your bill will absolutely get paid.

Info Packet and Next Steps

As always, let me know if you have any questions or comments, I am always happy to hear from my readers. If you're ready to take the next step, click here to 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.

32 Comments

Bob

7/23/2019 09:00:16 pm

It is true that the BBB shows an "A+" rating, but that is a bit misleading. Go to the BBB website and you will see this: "Customer reviews are not used in the calculation of BBB Rating". So, since Medishare is not a member of BBB the "customer reviews" are not taken into consideration for the rating. Read the actual current (as of July 23, 2019) "customer reviews" to get an accurate idea of the problems with Medishare. If the BBB rating was based on the problems and reviews on the BBB website the rating would actually be much lower - if not a "F-". And, yes, we are experiencing our own problems with Medishare, which I may share here in the near future. >:\

Michael Glenn Angle

11/14/2019 09:21:34 am

Hi Bob
I am very interested in hearing you reasons as to what problems you might be experiencing with Medishare. I am actively looking into insurence to get away from the high costs and since I am thinking I might retire then I need insurance, especially since my wife is 3 1/2 years younger and won't be 65 when I turn 65 in a year and a moth from now. Thanks

Colin Keeler link

12/19/2019 01:12:29 pm

Thanks for providing this info about how BBB ratings work Bob, that is very useful.

Matt

11/1/2019 05:14:38 pm

I have been researching Medi-share for the better part of 6 hours. I have decided not to purchase based on overwhelming poor reviews. It seems to me that if a med sharing company was truly reasonably priced and had the good reputation of "sharing" i.e paying expense the vast majority of Americans would flock to the company. Moreover, if these plans were truly Christian based their reputation would reflect it.

Michael Glenn Angle

11/14/2019 09:24:05 am

Hi Matt
I am very interested in hearing you reasons as to wh you did not go with with Medishare. I am actively looking into insurence to get away from the high costs and since I am thinking I might retire then I need insurance, especially since my wife is 3 1/2 years younger and won't be 65 when I turn 65 in a year and a moth from now. Thanks

Colin Keeler link

12/19/2019 01:13:58 pm

Matt, believe me that it's true and that is why Medi-Share has grown at such a rapid rate recently. I'm sorry you decided not to join, but if you change your mind I'm sure Medi-Share would love to have you as a member in the future.

Joey Scott

1/2/2020 07:38:20 am

I am sad to report that my Daughter and Son-In-Law have recently had a very bad experience with MediShare. They are a young couple and both working in a small church. As a Small Church Children's Director, they live on a meager salary and opted for MediShare to save money. At 25 and 26 years old they struggle with many expenses. They are a true picture of those leading children and parents to the feet of Jesus. However, this fall my Son-in-law had a devastating bout with Kidney Stones. After emergency room and outpatient surgery, Medishare refused to pay anything....not a cent of sharing....claiming that it was a pre-existing condition. How do you do that with Kidney Stones??? I am saddened because on Dec 23, they received a letter from thier appeal stating that they were refused, so now they have the burden of paying $ 18,000 ! What a great Christmas present for a young couple that the Christian Sharing was not for them and they will be strapped with this debt for years to come. Surely Medishare can pay some portion of this bill. I hate it because they unselfishly give their lives, only to be devasted by this organization that so many others have praised.

James Riley

1/8/2020 04:03:23 pm

Very sad. You're right, Medi-share should pay some of the bill.

I was considering them, but have read too many horror stories about this type of 'Christian organization.'

Colin Keeler

5/25/2020 01:56:32 pm

I'm very sorry to hear that Joey. I hope that your son-in-law is healthy and recovering.

Kidney stones can be a pre-existing condition if they occur regularly. There is some discussion of this in their blog entry on pre-existing conditions.

Jackie Noel Saemrow

2/15/2021 12:18:41 pm

We had a very simular experience with Medishare. My 17 year old daughter had a thyroid glossal duct cyst and needed emergency surgery. I called medishare to let them know and ask if I needed anything done before hand. I got the answer that everything is covered . Well they did not cover a cent. $28000.00 we were responsible for. Not Happy

Linda S Stearns

2/23/2021 10:50:23 am

I have experienced the same thing with Medi-share. Everything is "A PRE-EXISTING CONDITION"! Aging would be one of them. They will come up with any reason not to cover a claim. Definitely read the fine print many times over.

Donna

1/10/2020 09:28:03 am

We have had many challenges with Medishare's lack of communication regarding our Member Request for Reimbursements and the amazingly long processing time to be reimbursed. I have called the support line and been told "we're processing it", followed up a month later and been told that they needed more information to process the request. Sent them the information, called a month later to get the same lame answer of "it is in process" and "now that you have called, we will let the department know to process it". Was told 90 days to process and then when they need more information, the process time starts over! My Husband and I are convinced that Medishare does not want to send members money after they have met their deductibles without a fight and constant followup. It's interesting that our monthly share checks are processed quickly! The supervisor I asked to speak to after talking to a sweet employee had a very don't care attitude about the long process time when I asked if she could expedite my requests that were initially sent in August 2019 and resent in November 2019 and followed up on in Dececember 2019. I gave up this morning after talking to the Supervisor and will just wait until who knows when to get our reimbursements. I am DONE with wasting another minute of followup with them. It is pathetic how slow Medishare has been in processing our requests for reimbursement, so we are changing our membership to Samaritan's Ministries which our friends have recommended due to fast reimbursement time.

John Zouse

2/26/2020 06:25:51 pm

Thanks for this blog. We’ve been with Medishare for over 3 yrs and are very happy, but needing a 2nd back surgery has raised some questions; to which Medishare has answered quickly and thoroughly. What you’ve posted here eradicates any remaining concerns. Thanks again.

Colin Keeler

5/25/2020 01:58:43 pm

Thank you John, I greatly appreciate that!

Bill S. Pacek

3/28/2020 02:26:05 pm

Medi-share is a complete rip-off! Don’t do it.

Colin Keeler

5/25/2020 01:58:16 pm

I respectfully disagree Bill, Medi-Share has been a true blessing for our family and countless others.

Richard

5/19/2020 05:31:26 am

We are current members. Medishare will look for any way not to cover your bills after you meet the deductible. We are paying an extra $4000 over our deductible because the hospital flagged a procedure as "medical history" this was a scope for an ulcer to determine whether or not to continue treatment or do surgery... Hospital said that is how they flag all follow-ups like this and wouldn't be able to change it. We appealed and were denied. Medishare refused to cover it even though it was obviously part of a treatment plan that should have been covered. We tried from both the hospital and the medishare team to get an exception made, but neither would budge on their decision. Unfortunately, our only recourse is to let the world know our story everywhere we can on social media. We are stuck holding the bag with this company and now over 14000 in medical bills.

Colin Keeler

5/25/2020 02:02:00 pm

Richard, The process for determining sharing eligibility is the same before and after you hit your annual household portion. I'm sorry to here your bills weren't eligible based on how the hospital coded them.

I certainly agree that hospital bills are outrageously high and I hope you're able to get them lowered. I would suggest contacting the hospital often to try and get a lower self-pay rate if you haven't already done this. Again, I'm sorry to hear of this and wish you the best of luck with your situation.

Mark Danay

5/26/2020 03:04:00 pm

MediShare is a complete scam and there is nothing about this company that is "Christian" based. First off they do tell you that they have a 3 year "pre-existing condition clause" where they will deny any and all related claims, but what they don't tell you is that it is really an up to 6 year pre-existing condition clause. There are many examples of how they claim invoices are “preventative” even though they were related to medical procedures, but let’s ...

Say in Spring of 2016 you have a torn Meniscus repaired and then say in Fall of 2019 you learn you have developed arthritis in the knees and it is determined you should have injections to help elevate the pain. You have never seen a doctor about knee pain in-between these dates and as any medical professional will tell you this is an entirely different issue than a torn Meniscus. Either way it is over 3 years 4 months since that procedure. Anyway, you call MediShare to confirm the injections are covered and they tell you yes. You want to make double sure so you request the doctor call and confirm the procedure is covered and they tell him yes. Then 4 months later you see MediShare still hasn’t paid the $23,000 claim so you call to see what is going on. They tell you the claim is under review and that they need to see all your medical records from the previous 3 years. After another month or so, you receive another letter saying that isn’t good enough they now request your medical records from the previous 5 years. When you bring up the point that they not only told you the procedure would be paid, they told the doctor the procedure would be paid, they tell you that they only gave a “soft” yes, not a “hard” no. What the ~!@#$ is that? How can anyone tell you yes and then say no after the work is done! Can you say, I’m bankrupt now? The only reason we changed from our original insurance plan to MediShare was because our income had been drastically cut and we could no longer afford traditional insurance.

In the end they say that since I had knee pain in 2016 and only joined MediShare in 2018, that this is only 2 years prior to signing up, meaning this is a pre-existing condition. The claim will be denied. So it would be 2021 before they would consider this claim? That makes this a 5 year pre-existing condition clause. When asked how they consider a torn Meniscus and arthritis related they simply say “it’s all the knee related”. When asked how they can deny a claim after telling both the doctor and myself that it would be covered, they claim that isn’t what they said. When asked to hear the original phone call that they say is being recorded when you call, they can’t produce any evidence saying it may not be covered.

Proceed at your own risk with this company, but know they will spend whatever it takes + make up whatever they need to in order not to pay a claim.

carl ursel

6/12/2020 08:59:59 am

I too have been researching medi-share and the one thing that jumped out at me right away was the $25 MONTHLY admin fee.

Doing some quick math using their reported 400,000 members
...assume the average family is 4 people
...this creates 100,000 accounts
... multiply 100,000 by $25

this is $2,500,000 per month in admin fees or $30,000,000 per year members are paying. This seems excessive. Has anyone reviewed a year end financial. statement ?

Gary Lyons

6/12/2020 12:01:36 pm

Sorry I do not feel the same about Medi-Share after receiving an outrageous 19.3% increase in my share premium. Absolute usury. I really take offence to companies who espouse Christian values and principals but don't follow them.If they did, everyone would share the same increase percentage. I feel cheated and lied to. I am so sorry I signed up for Medi-share

Mandy

8/5/2020 04:57:32 pm

Medishare began as a great option for us and is quickly becoming very suspicious and unreliable. They are not insurance and shouldn't be treated as such, but I'm also sickened by their christian claims and some of their business practices. Telehealth has been helpful to us, but their recent price increases are outpacing our employer provided insurance price increases. More worrisome to me, they are considering very basic lab tests (with abnormal and treatable findings) as "wellness and prevention", giving them an excuse not to cover them. Their definition of wellness and prevention is not what your doctor or an insurance or your employer would define as wellness, so beware. They are also quite far reaching in terms of what they consider "pre-existing conditions". Again, buyer beware. Our recent experiences with Medishare along with my own training as a licensed medical professional have raised concerns. Having member voted guidelines is also not robust enough to allow for changes, unfortunately. We are looking elsewhere.

9/10/2020 08:39:23 am

Well, another wonderful (sarcasm) time disputing a bill with Medi-Share. Didn't receive the PHCS Network discount on my anesthesia bill even though the doctor and facility were in network. In all my years, this is the first time I have experienced this. In the past, when I had real insurance, if the doctor was in network, his choice of facility was included as in-network as was the anesthesiologist. Not so with Medi-Share. They say the anesthesiologist was out of network and thus no discount. Even the rep from the billing department of the provider admitted that with all the billing she has done, when the doctor is in network, the anesthesia is considered as in-network, whether or not they truly are.
I am truly sorry I ever chose Medi-Share. I thought by choosing Medi-Share, I finally found something to enable me to quit my job (with medical benefits) and retire early (59 1/2) because I had some sort of back-up medical insurance. (yes, I know they're not insurance. But they are meant to sort of substitute for one) Biggest mistake I have ever made. They are not what they espouse to be. They espouse Christian values, principles, etc falsely. They are a business performing under the guise of a Christian organization. Plain & simple. As it says in the Bible; "They will be punished most severely." Not recommended!
I guess I'll be looking for a job with benefits again.

Richard Signarino

10/22/2020 07:06:52 am

My family was considering joining Medi-Share, however, after having read the many complaints, and the nature of those complaints especially, we have decided to remain on our current insurance plan. I noted that the writer above, endorses this plan, stating that only a dozen or so complaints have been lodged with the Better Business Bureau (with an A+ Rating), as opposed to other similar plans of this type. It should be noted that there are far more many complaints that are found on various social media sites, and that many people are unfamiliar with reporting negative remarks with the BBB, customarily used among businesses. However, simply put, when using God or His Son to affect prosperity in ones venture, and assuming the posture of a God-Like organization, one must be quite careful, and strictly adhere to the principles of what Jesus taught. I know of none who were ever disappointed, burdened, or placed in economically dire straits by the Son of God, as demonstrated in the volumes of disappointed members in this health plan. Helping some, or even many, but seemingly harming others was never the Christian principles expressed and taught by Jesus Christ, He was the one that spoke of leaving the flock to simply find one lost sheep; it appears that Medi-Share has far too many such "sheep", too numerous to count. We, therefore, decline the offer.

Joyce Nisbet

10/31/2020 02:39:05 pm

I have been having a nightmare of problems with Medi-Share. I had my monthly "share" automatically taken out of my checking account. It came to my attention that one month an odd amount was taken out and when I checked on transaction. Medi-Share so generously took someone else's monthly share out of my checking account. I am astounded that my bank information was on another members name! After many phone calls and repeating my story to countless people, who kept assuring me it was all taken care of....of course....it wasn't and instead of reimbursing me the amount, they took out of my account a second time. At this time, I am going over my statements, and for a third time, IT IS WRONG. I dread the process of telling countless people the story only to promises of contacting me in 24-48 hours. I have also been charged a late fee for their own miscalculations. I'm done! As soon as they get this corrected, I leaving this business. Hiding behind a christian mission statement makes it only worse. I will warn everyone who even utters Medi-Shard.

Nancy

11/24/2020 10:02:29 am

We have endured a nightmare with Medicare - a bike accident in April resulted in a shattered elbow - we sought help at a nearby hospital - not in network we learned but in the middle of covid 19 we were seen. Long story short - over 6 months of hassle and repeatedly submitting fully coded medical bills Medicare paid less than a third of the $30,000 bill for surgery, screws, and a plate. we had to appeal multiple times for them to consider anesthesia as not elective. At almost $500 a month "share" we can not strongly enough recommend against Medicare - they are impossible to work with, they don't really care, and in the end they will fight you every inch of the way, but they will end each mail with blessings.

Patty

12/29/2020 07:44:35 am

I used Medishare while i was unemployed altough it was useless. None of the doctors i saw had never heard of it, therefore it was not excepted. Dodn"t even bother

Lori McCarter

1/4/2021 12:56:48 pm

Disappointment: I was able to get back on my husband's health insurance so I needed to drop my membership with MediShare. I called multiple times,. multiple days, in December. I was on hold once for over 2 hours!!! Finally, AFTER January 1st I contacted someone who explained I would not be receiving my January payment of over 350.00 because I hadn't called in time. I explained the situation with them, even had screen shots of my calls and the hold times... Nothing!! They are no different than any other "insurance" company by not refunding my money. If I'm in need of insurance another time, I will NOT use MediShare.

Emily

2/6/2021 11:53:30 pm

Never use Medishare! I was very attracted to the idea of a Christian community helping each other. It’s a wonderful concept, if the people running it were actually Christian. I signed up, then a year later, I got pregnant with our second child. My husband and I agreed that a home birth was best for us, and they refused to pay my midwife until services were completed. Which means they would not give her a single penny owed until after my child was delivered and the 6 week postpartum visit was done. Not a single representative could tell me that though, until 3 weeks after my child was born, so I spent hours on the phone trying to get what was owed to this wonderful woman. And the child birth? I never actually got to use the midwife because I never went into labor, I hemorrhaged and had to go to the hospital for an emergency C-Section. I almost died, and rather than getting to recover, heal, and be with my family I had to fight the Medishare people for a year to pay my bills because they said my hospital overcharged us and they “wanted to be good stewards of God’s money” by not paying my bills. $16,000 of debt with a new child, who has that kind of money?! Instead of being able to raise our daughters the way we had carefully planned we had to sell our home and start over because of their “Christian stewardship”. Stay away from them.

Gina Reno Woodlee

2/8/2021 01:27:08 pm

I just had a very bad experience with them too. I will never refer them.

Gina Reno Woodlee

2/8/2021 01:25:58 pm

I am very, very disappointed in Medi-share. I was laid off in July 2020 and reached out to Medi-Share for coverage (I know they have a whole different language here, so my apologies if I am not using the correct language). I signed my husband and I up, paid the first month and thought that I had set up autopay for our monthly share amount. We never received an email or notice saying payment was not received in October so I assumed all was well. Then a couple of weeks ago I found out we lost our coverage back in October, one month after I signed up because they had not received payment. When I called this week to have it reinstated, they said the only way was to either pay the 4 months sharing that we owed (which doesn't make sense at all...why would I pay for 4 months past when we weren't even covered?) or we could resign up and pay for the next 3 months with NO COVERAGE AT ALL. Are you kidding? I offered to pay 4 months now in advance for the next 4 months so we could have coverage NOW but they said NO. I am APPALLED that a Christian ministry would be so heartless. Very, very disappointed in them. During these hard times, you would think there would be more grace. I will never refer you to anyone.

Pol Carglovs link

3/2/2021 03:50:58 pm

Thank you for this comment section. I have been considering Medishare for the past year. Thank You! Thank you! Thank you! I am SO glad to have found this comment section. It confirms all of my suspicions that when it sounds too good to be true...it probably is. Yes I disdain insurance companies and know full well they do everything within the thin lines of legality to NOT pay on claims. But you know that upfront. This organization CLAIMS to be there for you, but what I read and hear is definitely not what a Christian would expect. This is a cold hearted bu$iness veiled in the cloak of Christ's mercy. You ( Moody Bible bankers) will need to answer for this deception.

The Most Common MediShare Complaints

Medi-Share's BBB Status

Medi-Share Health Insurance Complaints

Medi-Share Didn't Accept Me

Medi-Share Requires In-Network Treatment from Doctors and Hospitals

Medi-Share Didn't Pay My Bill

Info Packet and Next Steps

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