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Republican Tax Plan and the Individual Mandate

12/18/2017

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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. 

Individual Mandate Law Change

​Overall, we here at Medi-Share Reviews are happy with this change. Insurance should be a decision made by the individual and family. For most, it will make sense to pay a fixed amount each month in exchange for having unexpected medical bills paid or shared. But in a free country, you should have the right to purchase or decline any service. Forcing people to buy something they don't want is not the right solution. 

With that said, the individual mandate was how my family and I found Medi-Share. We were going without any insurance when we could no longer afford it. We didn't want to pay the Obamacare penalty though, and that was when we discovered we could pay 60% less as Medi-Share members relative to traditional insurance. At this point, whether the individual mandate stays or goes, we will always stay happy Medi-Share members. 

What should follow up the removal of the individual mandate is making healthcare affordable again. Opaque pricing, short hospital visits that costs thousands of dollars, and poor customer service should be made relics of the past. The way to do that is by embracing a free market. Stop artificially limiting the supply of doctors and move to a completely free healthcare market where consumers and healthcare providers interact on a voluntary basis. 

Until that happens, individual mandate or not, we will be sticking with Medi-Share and hope that you and your family find the solution that best meets your needs as well. 
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From the Mailbag: Medi-Share vs Insurance

10/19/2017

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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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​Great question.

While it's true that Medi-Share and other Christian healthcare sharing ministries function similarly to traditional insurance, there is a crucial difference. Insurance companies operate a for-profit business where they take in your premiums and guarantee they'll pay for certain healthcare expenses.


Medi-Share is a Christian non-profit that facilitates members paying each others' bills. If they were an insurance company, they would keep your monthly payment, invest it, and aim to pay out a smaller amount for future claims than they took in initially. Instead their role is simply to distribute monthly payments among members that have medical expenses, providing all members with predictability and efficiency for a much lower cost than insurance companies. Members can even vote on what types of medical expenses are shared.

So while both Medi-Share and insurance companies will both get your medical bills paid for you, they accomplish that task in very different ways. Insurance companies do it in a heavily regulated environment, collecting premiums, investing them for profit, and paying out for claims the minimum they're required to. Medi-Share lets members decide what expenses are shared, and then as a non-profit organizes it so that everyone is paying each others' medical bills with as small a monthly payment as possible. 

Geoff, I hope that helps! 
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ObamaCare vs TrumpCare

8/21/2017

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Healthcare has been in the news recently with President Trump continuing to try and make good on his promise to repeal Obamacare. The GOP replacement plan is different, yet fundamentally very similar.

For example, while the details differ, both feature subsidies that depend on income as well as penalties for going without coverage.

I am very sympathetic to those who can't afford good healthcare, having been there myself. Regulating every aspect of the system isn't the right answer though. From the official TrumpCare site, the focus remains on taxes, regulations, and government interference in the market:
Trumpcare and Medi-Share
What we need instead is a free market in medicine and healthcare, instead of an artificially limited supply of doctors who bill overly-regulated insurance companies. Doctors should be incentivized to care about their patients, and provide transparent and competitive prices. Higher taxes and subsidies will not solve this problem. 

In the meanwhile, Medi-Share continues to offer a health insurance alternative with lower cost, greater flexibility, and a wider array of doctors and specialists. It opts you out of penalties and the bureaucratic health insurance labyrinths. Until we have genuine change to the system, that's about as good as we can hope for. 
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Medi-Share and Mental Health

7/26/2017

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Today we go to a reader question. Steven from San Diego, CA writes:

"I'm thinking of joining Medi-Share but do you know if they cover counseling / anti-depressive?"

Looking at the Medi-Share guidelines, I'll try to provide the best answer I can to this question. First, psychiatrists are definitely doctors. When you go to search for a provider, one of the options you can select is specifically to locate a psychiatrist near you.
Counseling and Psychiatry in Medi-Share
The one limit to this is that while psychiatric care and evaluation are eligible for sharing, there is a maximum of 6 months of sharing per new condition. Most forms of counseling, such as those for learning deficiencies, aren't eligible for sharing. If you have a specific type of counseling, medication, or mental health treatment you are interested in, the best option is to contact Medi-Share directly to ask.

(A benefit to Medi-Share not making all forms of expenses eligible for sharing is that this lowers the monthly cost for all members. Members get to vote on this so you have a say as a Medi-Share member for which expenses should be eligible for sharing.)

Steven, I hope that answers your question, please feel free to get back in touch if you have more information I can help with. 
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Prescriptions and Dental Care

6/5/2017

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Before the main topic of today's post, I've gotten some more questions recently on how healthcare sharing ministries work. If you still have questions, I suggest taking a look at this detailed explanation of Christian health insurance. It explains the topic very well.

In our last blog, we talked about Medi-Share and maternity. Today we're going to talk about both prescriptions and dental work. 

Prescriptions are mostly like normal medical expenses eligible for sharing. So long as you start the prescription once you're already a member, the cost will be paid. The only caveat is that there is a maximum length for the prescription, which is usually 6 months. So you will want to call their customer service if you have a prescription that may last for longer than this. 

For seeing a dentist, these expenses are not eligible for sharing like normal medical bills, but there is a discount program. 
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Here is a link to the full list of discounts, which includes (as an example) root canals for under $600. 

The most important thing with Medi-Share is that if you have any questions you can't find out online, just call and ask. They are always happy to help members and prospective members any way they're able. 
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Medi-Share and Maternity

5/22/2017

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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.


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Medi-Share's PHCS Network of Doctors and Specialists

4/26/2017

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The Medi-Share network of doctors and specialists (known as a PPO) is called PHCS, which stands for Private Healthcare Systems. It includes over 700,000 healthcare professionals. I can tell you from experience that if there is a particular doctor or healthcare facility that you normally use, the odds are very good that it is part of the PHCS network. 

When you join Medi-Share, you will have instant access to their online member's center. If you click on Find A Provider, you are brought to this page:
Medi-Share Member's Center
Notice that besides ​finding a doctor, you also have options for dental and vision, as well as the 24/7 online doctor's calls done over phone or webcam.

The first option is to find a doctor. You're able to search for specific doctors, or any who meet the criteria you set who are also near you. You can specify that the doctor must have a certain specialty like occupational therapy or pediatrics, be male or female, or speak a certain language.  You can also specify how close the doctor must be, such as 1 mile or 5 miles. 

From there, you get a comprehensive list of all doctors meeting your criteria. For example, searching for pediatricians within 1 mile, I get 9 results starting with:
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Medi-Share Doctors
So this is how you can use Medi-Share to find the right doctor for you and your family.
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Dave Ramsey Speaks On Medi-Share

4/20/2017

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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.

Dave Ramsey talking about Christian Insurance and Medi-Share

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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"In 1993, a formalized approach to sharing healthcare burdens began with the Medi-Share program. From small beginnings, this big ideal took root."

​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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There are several programs out there with long track records of always doing what they say ... I wouldn’t go with one that doesn’t have several decades under its belt. MediShare, as an example, has a great reputation.

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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What Does the Donald Trump Presidency Mean for Obamacare?

11/16/2016

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It is becoming more and more widely accepted that Obamacare is a failure for most Americans. Even President Clinton has referred to it as the “craziest thing in the world.” Here in Florida, Obamacare premiums are expected to increase by another 25% or more. Mainstream publications are increasingly reporting on reduced selection, higher prices, and declining service. ​
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Donald Trump ObamaCare

Enter the election of Donald Trump. The President-Elect
 has stated that he will repeal Obamacare. Whether he will actually do that, and eliminate compulsory insurance, remains to be seen. While we certainly hope that happens, Mr. Trump has previously stated that he is in favor of universal healthcare, and subsequent to being elected, has begun praising aspects of ObamaCare -- such as the “prohibition against insurers denying coverage because of patients' existing conditions.”

As discussed in the Chicago Tribune article mentioned in the first paragraph, measures such as requiring insurers to grant full coverage to those with existing conditions, and limiting how much the elderly can be charged, may sound both positive and charitable. But unfortunately someone has to bear the cost, and the average person pays significantly more for insurance as a result ... often a completely unaffordable amount for hard-working middle class families.

What do we advocate instead?

T
he one true solution is a free market with transparent pricing where doctors and hospitals compete for our business with better service and lower prices. We should know how much we'll be paying in advance, and have control over our own healthcare. Let us also all contribute to charities we like that help provide medical care to those who can't afford it for themselves. But such contributions should be voluntary.

We will see in the coming months exactly what President Elect Trump intends to do. We hope that in addition to ending any form of compulsory health insurance, he also works toward a freer market in healthcare and lower prices.

If you do not want to pay the skyrocketing costs of conventional insurance, or potentially thousands of dollars per year in penalties to the government, consider healthcare sharing. See what you would pay with Medi-Share compared to conventional insurance. Call them up and see how easy it is to talk with an actual human who wants to answer your questions and help you.

Christians can opt out of the failed system like so many others want to do, but without paying the high and increasing Obamacare penalty. And in the process, we can have significantly more flexibility, pay much less each month, and become part of a system that genuinely cares about its members.



(Blog Image Credit to Gage Skidmore)
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What is "Christian Health Insurance"?

7/12/2016

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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. 

Christian Insurance

​Insurance is a heavily regulated trillion dollar industry. The goal of insurance companies is to minimize the ratio of claims they pay out and expenses relative to the premiums they take in. They use money they take in to invest (for example, this is a big part of how Warren Buffett got so rich -- investing premiums paid to insurance companies he owned), and spend large sums in regulatory compliance.

I'm not complaining about insurance companies. They're businesses out to make a profit and there's no problem with that. The question though is whether it's the right solution for you.

"Christian health insurance" is a different type of solution. Instead of the insurance model, it works simply: If you have a medical bill you submit it to the healthcare sharing ministry you belong to, and other members pay it. 

It is a simple system and it works. Money isn't siphoned off for regulatory compliance or a quest for underwriting profit. It's just members helping other members. You also know exactly how much you'll pay each month, so there are no surprises. Everyone pays a reasonable fixed amount each month based on their ages and family size, and this money is used to pay medical bills as they arise.

There are different healthcare sharing ministries available, but at this point I can only speak about Medi-Share since this is the one I am a member of and see firsthand every month how well it works. Medi-Share is designed to help families by minimizing how much they pay per month and providing them the best possible care.

Affordable Health Care for Families

​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. 
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    Hi! My name is Colin. My family and I switched to Medi-Share when we could no longer afford normal health insurance. It has changed our lives and now we want to help others and spread the word.

    Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments. I will always be happy to help.

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