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
como
If you are looking into your options for Health Care Sharing plans, be very careful about whom you select. We were very enthusiastic about the idea of saving 50% on monthly premiums with potentially a much lower out-of-pocket costs due to cost-sharing with like minded individuals who try to treat their bodies in a way that honors God. We chose to sign our family up with Medical Cost Sharing (MCS). Although they were close to impossible to reach when we had question or wanted to update our billing information, all seemed to be going well and they gladly took our automated payments for several months UNTIL I had an injury that could possibly result in surgery. Shortly after submitting our doctor’s bill (which we already paid for out of pocket and negotiated the lowest possible rate) I received a letter of termination. In the letter they are claiming pre-existing conditions that I was not seeking reimbursement for, as well as stating that I have a condition simply because I was prescribed a medication for something else, but that medication is typically used to treat a specific condition (that I don’t have). They said not to bother appealing the decision – their board is overwhelmed with the case load and has never overturned a termination. So now I am out thousands of dollars that I paid to them in contributions, plus the hundreds (plus more in the future) of dollars in current medical bills. I am sick inside that people claiming to be Christian and spout scripture stating we should help others turned their back on us the minute we had a legitimate need. If I go to any other cost-share program now, my injury will be considered a pre-existing condition. My only option is to go back to looking at traditional ACA-compliant health insurance, which was exactly what we wanted to avoid. Do not waste your time looking at MCS. You will only waste your time, money, and your faith in humanity.
Nikki
http://samaritanministriesreview.com/compare-to-other-ministries/
BeAGoodPerson
I am interested in Joining Samaritans, I was raised Catholic, I got married in a Methodist Church that I grew up with the Minister she is no longer the minister at the church as she is in her 80’s and her health isn’t great, it would be the church I would attend if I still lived in that area. Anyways I do not go to Church but I live a loving and good life. I don’t believe I have to be part of a church to be a good person and follow a christian lifestyle. But my question is I have a friend that is an Ordained Minister. Would he be able to vouch for me and sign my Testimony/Statement that I follow a Christian Lifestyle? I believe I can be outside with Mother nature with my Chickens and take in the world and pray by myself for the world to be great and pray for my friends and family are healthy and happy. I can worship my world in my own world and be Thankful for what I have and what God has blessed me with.
Rodrigo
You can try Liberty Healthcare Ministries. They dont limit anyone religion, except by generic principles.
Herman the Magician
I don’t understand why they don’t take people who are Jewish who observe the Old Testament, live clean lives, no drinking, no homosexual activity, no smoking, etc. We believe in the same G-d and pray to
G-d directly with no Jesus (who was Jewish) in between.
It is shameful to reject others who live clean lives and follow the original bible
Jessica
I believe there is one called liberty something that accepts all faiths, or at least a wider variety.
pam
Hi, Herman
here’s qualification for Libery Health Share.
libertyhealthshare.org/do-i-qualify
i’ll check it out
cheers
pam
Hi, Herman,
i just talked with a Liberty Health Share representative.
they have 35k members (plans) (tripled in the last year). members include all faiths (Xtians, Mormons, Jewish, etc)
cheers,
pam
Hi,
does one have to be a Christian to join any of these plans?
(the website does not mention faith & i dont’ want to download only to find out i’m not qualified)
thanks
Levonne
Are there groups that do not require a profession of faith?
Rob
Liberty HealthShare says:
As a community of people, we live out several practices Christians have observed for decades:
Share one another’s burdens
Your body is a temple
Do not use tobacco products
Do not drink alcohol in excess
Eat foods that nourish your body not harm it
Exercise regularly
Worship regularly with others
Yes! You qualify if you:
Don’t use tobacco in any form
Don’t abuse alcohol, illegal drugs or prescription drugs
Are healthy and lead a healthy lifestyle
And agree with our shared beliefs
Rob
Here is a small excerpt from the 2015 Liberty HealthShare Sharing Guidelines which can be downloaded from libertyhealthshare.com :
III. SHARING MEMBER QUALIFICATIONS AND FINANCIAL PARTICIPATION.
In order to become and remain a Sharing Member, a person must meet the following criteria:
A. Observe Christian Standards. The modern medical cost sharing movement was begun by a small band of Christians to practically demonstrate how to fulfill the command by Christ to ‘bear one another’s burdens’. In accordance with that practice, we ask every member of Liberty HealthShareSM to observe the following:
Strive to be a Christian who lives by biblical principles
Believe the Bible teaches that we are to ‘share one another’s burdens’ (Gal. 6:2) Participate in worship regularly
Patricia
As a point of clarification, if you correct for homicides and accidents, the US actually has the highest life expectancy. Regardless, health sharing is a great alternative. I would love to see a chart comparing all 4 healthsharing companies: Samaritins, MediShare, Christian HealthCare Ministries, and Liberty Share side by side on benefits, cost, etc.
Dianne
There is a woman who has made up a comparison chart. Type in Libertyshare vs. Samaritan Ministries & you’ll find her blog.
ds
It is NOT the quality of health care or the lack of health care insurance that makes our country rank so low in life-expectancy…it is the lack of personal responsibility and, in essence, our growing lack of a work ethic, that is killing Americans. An increasing number of U.S. citizens don’t exercise, lack will-power, are complacent and lazy, smoke and drink to excess, and simply put, are not all that bright.
Dominic
Couldn’t agree more @ds.
Lis
The U.S. ranks #1 in left expectancy if fatal accidents are accounted for. Let’s see how long it takes Obamacare and other government meddling to destroy that.
Deb
I am excited about this idea. My husband at 61 was layed off. Our income plummeted. In choosing Obama care, our deduct able is $6500 per person. Just one unhealthy event or year could crush our finances. Good news is, I am better at sticking with healthy diet, and studying alternative ways of handeling sickness. Our pour health care program is forcing me to pay better attention to my health.