It’s no secret that the healthcare system in the United States is beyond broken. What’s worse, Congress does not seem capable of fixing it anytime soon. Despite spending far more per capita than any other country on medical care, the United States does not even rank in the top 50 countries for life expectancy. This is exactly why health care sharing is growing exponentially in recent years! People are FED UP.
Attempts to fix the problems have only seemed to make matters worse. Medical costs have continued to explode since the creation of Medicare in the mid-1960s despite new regulations being periodically enacted over the years to attempt to control costs.
The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) is the latest attempt to “control” costs and bring sanity to the healthcare insurance industry. Unfortunately, as of this writing, health insurance premiums continue to increase with individuals and families required to pay for an ever-larger share of their coverage even when employed by large companies, companies which only a few years ago, covered most or all of the cost.
A full-time teacher I know recently confided that her out of pocket expenses for health care through her employer more than doubled (same company, same coverage) with the recent launch of the Affordable Care Act, a law which has yet to live up to its name.
For those following a healthful diet and lifestyle who rarely if ever require a doctor’s care, the frustration with healthcare insurance is two-fold. First, the sobering realization that the rapidly rising expense for medical coverage is due in large part to the GMO-ridden Standard American Diet and high stress/low activity lifestyle of a consenting majority suffering from a plethora of serious health problems being “managed”, never resolved, by overpriced pharmaceutical drugs.
Secondly, the knowledge that in the event healthcare insurance is ever needed, that conventional drugs and surgery would be the only treatments covered by insurance with any holistic or alternative treatments paid for out of pocket.
This reality hit home with me a few years ago when I tried in vain to have a preventative breast thermogram covered by my medical insurance instead of a cancer-causing mammogram. You can read about that saga here.
In essence, relying on healthcare insurance is being caught between a rock and a hard place. Not only is it very expensive, but even in the event of serious illness, you won’t get the coverage and treatments you desire if you are alternatively minded.
For example, let’s say you or a loved one is diagnosed with colorectal cancer. With healthcare insurance, you would in all likelihood be forced into surgery/chemo/radiation even if you have identified a different treatment protocol with a higher probability of success with less toxic side effects.
Makes no sense does it?
Rather than continuing to flush money down the toilet every month paying for healthcare insurance we felt was throwing good money after bad, my husband and I decided to seek out a completely different approach to meeting our family’s health care needs.
What we discovered is a concept that is very new, but at the same time, very old.
Health Care Sharing: An Idea Whose Time Has Come
Our primary goal was to identify a financially sound approach to meeting our family’s health care needs that preserved our freedom of choice when it came to treatment options. We started to investigate the historical concept of “mutual aid societies,” organizations that were crucial to American life up until the beginning of the last century. In 1910, an estimated one in three Americans belonged to such an organization, which provided temporary help to those who became ill or lost a job, for example.
The rise of government programs such as food stamps, Medicaid, unemployment insurance and welfare gradually caused the disappearance of mutual aid societies and the insurance model to take its place.
In the 1990s, the concept of a mutual aid society formed the basis for the development of a new model for meeting an individual or family’s health care needs: Health Care Sharing. It is important to understand that health care sharing it is not healthcare insurance, but rather a way to meet health care needs by balancing them with the shares the members fund on a monthly basis.
Why We Switched to Healthcare Sharing
After much investigation, thought, and discussion, we ultimately decided to take the bold step and cancel our healthcare insurance with Humana and enroll with Samaritan Ministries, founded in 1994 and the largest of three health care sharing organizations in the United States. When I originally wrote this post in March 2014, Samaritan had 105,000 members (33,000 households) in all 50 states. As of February 2017, these numbers have more than doubled to more than 224,000 members and 68,000 households.
Our decision to switch was primarily based on the positive testimonials from friends who were longtime members of Samaritan and had used it for everything from heart attacks to births of babies. In addition, my husband who is from Australia was very keen on the idea as mutual aid societies similar, but not identical, to the concept of health care sharing are popular in his home country and he had used one for years for medical coverage prior to moving to the United States.
While the monthly cost of Samaritan is not significantly different than the $450/month family policy we had with Humana, the peace of mind knowing that when and if we have a medical need, we get to choose our health care provider and course of treatment with 100% of the need being met is priceless. In addition, Samaritan members share in needs starting after the first $300 spent (Samaritan Classic), while the Humana policy we used to rely on had a very high deductible.
Another big plus is the tremendous satisfaction of knowing that our health care dollars are not going to support treatments and therapies that we don’t philosophically agree with.
Different Samaritan Policies
Note that Samaritan offers different policies. Our family has Samaritan Classic, where the monthly cost never exceeds $495, but there is also Samaritan Basic where the monthly cost for a family is $250-400/month.
In addition, policies start at $100/month for a single-person membership with the oldest head of household 29 or younger. To compare both plans and the monthly cost based on household size, download an information packet or go to this online calculator.
Health Care Sharing vs Obamacare or Group Insurance
Perhaps the best news of all is that health care sharing societies such as Samaritan Ministries is a cost-effective alternative to ObamaCare and individual insurance policies. It’s even cheaper than the group insurance offered by large companies in most cases.
If you are in a similar quandry about your health care situation, I would encourage you to investigate the concept of health care sharing for yourself.
Click here for more information or to download an information packet.
*Please note that Samaritan Ministries is not for everyone. Depending on where you live and your religious affiliation, you may not meet membership criteria. However, if you know of other organizations with a health care sharing philosophy, please include this information in the comments section.
UPDATE on our Samaritan Experience
We’ve now been with Samaritan Ministries for almost 7 years and couldn’t be happier or more satisfied. We still often wonder why we didn’t switch sooner. We would have saved so much money and stress! Our Samaritan policy is even covering one of our children now in college!
graphics used with permission of bestnursingmasters.com
Very excited to see you post on Samaritan! Logical choice!
Essentially, insurance is a pool of money collected by premium payments to pay for claims. Insurance companies are there to run these schemes for profit. Any other method of taking care of losses suffered by the members can solve your insurance needs. Just that, people rely on big name companies more.
We may be looking into this as an option; it seems like a wonderful idea for folks who are inclined to take personal responsibility for their own health in an effort to prevent diseases.
To address those offended that an organization would offer membership only to Christians: it appears that prayer for other members is a central theme as part of the healthcare for the group. It may seem like a foreign concept to unbelievers, but for those who acknowledge Him, God is the first resort in healing rather than the last. Would it make much sense for believers to join together with folks who either will not pray for them, or who will be praying to a different god? There are membership requirements for all kinds of groups. If a local golf club actually requires its members to play a game of golf or two each month, in order to keep the income for the club healthy, and I don’t play golf, shall I accuse them of discriminating against me if I don’t play golf but want to join the club? Or should I go join a tennis club instead, since I would actually play some tennis? These groups are not the only healthcare coverage options out there. Options abound. If folks don’t like what the other choices are right now, they should consider carefully who they vote for in the future. I’ve heard nothing but complaints about rising healthcare premiums since the “Affordable” Health Care laws took effect. Further, it looks like new health sharing groups won’t be coming on the scene. There are four right now (Liberty is the least restrictive as far as religious affiliation goes), but Obamacare prevents the recognition of any new groups that weren’t already established as of 1999, I believe. I could be incorrect about that date…
In reference to the offense taken over the previous comment about Christians and their general health, studies have shown over the years, that believers do live longer. This amazes me, because of what I see being eaten at the typical church pot-luck 😉 Some hypothesize that the strong support network found in many churches, along with decreased stress levels that come from the peace of depending upon God, contribute to this statistical occurrence. A previous poster also mentioned the lifestyle habits that are often (not always) more typical of (especially evangelical) Christians, such as fewer, (or only one) lifetime sexual partner(s), abstinence from smoking and recreational drug use, decreased alcohol intake, etc. There are always exceptions to this trend, as there are many very health conscious atheists, but studies do point to better health for believers.
There are many believers of other religions who are Jewish or Muslim for example but the poster specifically mentioned Christians so your explanation doesn’t make sense.
Perfect reply.
That was for Amy, not Megan.
Well said.
My comment was for Amy as well.
Liberty Healthshare is not Christain based. We are a lesbian couple with a daughter and just joined.
Cool! Sounds like a much better choice for the justice-minded . . . .
You have to be a believer of Jesus Christ correct?
Believer, yes. It has been a blessing to us to give each month, sending letters to fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to encourage them. Each month a prayer calendar is mailed out with members’ prayer requests. When we submitted for a medical need after one of our miscarriages, I kept all the letters sent to us. I can’t tell you how much many of them touched my heart.
This sounds wonderful. Are all hospital visits and such out of pocket or are they covered? Also, do most doctors accept this type of insurance?
We have belonged to Christian Healthcare Ministries for 20 years. Thankfully we have not had any major needs in that time, but are very happy to know that we have been helping other believers with their healthcare costs. I’m not familiar with Samaritans or Medi-Share, but CHM is more what I personally consider catastrophic coverage. They do not pay for all the prescriptions and doctor checkups or physicals etc. I’m glad about that. I think part of the problem with insurance is that so many people have used it for every little tiny sniffle. Their employer has often paid 100% of the premiums so they may not have realized the true costs of running to the doctor all.the.time. I have known many families who have done that.
It is NOT just like insurance. I don’t know the terminology, but insurance companies are required to have a certain amount of money on hand at all times. These ministries pass on the monies when received to those with needs. They don’t have high salaries for their CEO’s or large savings accounts.
For those of you who are disgruntled because they allow only Christians, look around for other alternatives. If you are of a different faith, then maybe there is a group you can join. Or look into starting one yourself.
Our health insurance for expats ( missionaries in Mexico) double at the announcement of Obamacare, doubled again this year along with notification we were cancelled at the end of the year. We joined Medishare, similar idea. I liked the possible of a large deductible which keeps out price down. Have not had to use it so far – kind of the whole point – they do not punnish you for being health. Lower costs if you are healthy and they will work with you if you do not meet the healthiest standards. Illegal I am sure with standard insurance – discriminating!!
Having always had insurance I did 2 months of hard core research into health care sharing ministries and then chose to join samaritan. we love it!! I created comparison pages between the 3 main ministries if anyone is interested. Our family never intends to go back to insurance.
Samaritanministriesreview.com
Thanks Healther… awesome review
Emily,
You are really playing with fire with your statement of “Just be healthy and everything will be fine.” Before the Great Recession almost 50% of bankruptcies were because of medical costs families couldn’t pay. Living a healthy life will contribute to a decline to visits to the doctor, but it won’t protect you from a fall, or an accident or even some disease that got passed your immune system. I know this from first hand experience. I slipped on a step in my house and crushed my ankle. The cost? $50,000. We had insurance. Holistic medicine is great, but because of a skilled surgeon, I was able to walk again when some thought I wouldn’t.Something an alternative doctor couldn’t do. If you can take a $50,000 hit, then don’t have insurance. You may have to replace a hip. Better have some bucks in the banks for that. A hit to the eye, you could lose your eye.Millions of people have lost their homes because they either couldn’t afford health care or were denied coverage. Obama Care isn’t perfect, but those items are no longer an issue.
Well said, Truevision!
You don’t have to go back to the great depression. The biggest cause of bankruptcy today – and for a number of years now – is medical bills.
Truevision didn’t go that far back… Great RECESSION… not Depression… different centuries…
There’s always homeopathy as well… which can fix even a crushed ankle. No kidding! Homeopathy is a terribly kept secret in the United States. A Homeopath is different than a Holistic doctor- clear the lines of understanding of a homeopath vs. holistic vs. herbal. My best advice- everyone educate your own self. You’ll be stunned at what homeopathy can do!
I have Liberty Healthshare and am covered up to $1Million per incident if I fall and break an ankle.
Isn’t that statistic even higher now like 60%? As far as bankruptcy’s caused by medical bills?
http://time.com/198/bitter-pill-why-medical-bills-are-killing-us/