Christian Health Sharing Plans: Legitimate or Scam?

Are Christian Health Sharing Plans Legitimate or a Scam?

Every since the Affordable HealthCare  Act (a.k.a, Obamacare) took effect and premiums and deductibles skyrocketed, consumers, especially the self-employed looked for ways to cut the health insurance costs. One popular way was to use one of the exemptions in the law, for "Christian Health Sharing Plans.  At first, it sounded like a great idea and at least 1 million people nationally have signed up.  But now that a few years have gone by, more and more horror stories are coming out.  We have our own direct experience with one company, one which we deem a scam: Trinity Health, aka, Alieracare. But that does not mean the others are any better.

What you need to know

First, none of these plans or companies are regulated. At all. You are own your own.  And good luck getting them to p[ay a claim, which they call a "share".

Even if you follow every one of their rules, pay your premiums ("Members monthly share") on time, they can still refuse to pay a claim for no reason at all. Understand this: whether they pay anything is completely up to them and you have no recourse.

Just like insurance companies, they look for any excuse not to pay a claim. There are reports that some call your church to see if you are a member and attend every week, and if you don't, they refuse to pay your claims.

Are any of them good?

As far as we can tell, no, because you have no assurance they will actually pay any bill and no recourse .  But that said, Medi-Share is one of the larger, more visible sharing plans, and it has relatively few complaints. Horror stories abound on the internet about the others. Again, keep in mind they are unregulated, so don't expect any help whatsoever from your senator, congressperson, insurance commission or anyone else.  This is a religious institution, so government wants nothing to do with them. At least be sure that the health sharing ministry is a member of the Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries.

Reports about each Christian Health Sharing Plan

 MediShare

• The Pros and Cons of Medi-Share - January 2017. Because Medi-Share is a faith-based organization, they have specific rules associated with membership. For example, members are required to attend church regularly, abstain from tobacco and illegal drugs, and attest to a specific statement of faith. For a full list of eligibility requirements, you can visit Medi-Share's online guidelines.
• Better Business Bureau - Medi-Share has an A+ rating, so perhaps that speaks well of them.
• NY Times - Mr. Snider says Medi-Share urged him to plead with the hospital after determining he would owe more than $100,000. He said he had assumed the $800 a month he paid into a pool would help cover the expenses. After he tweeted his frustrations, the ministry told him that he would owe only $1,500 for the surgery because the hospital had forgiven the rest, he said. He now owes thousands of dollars in related medical bills and is unsure of their status. If Medi-Share decides not to pay, Mr. Snider knows he has little recourse: "It is completely and solely up to them." He has since gotten a job where he is covered under his employer.
• Huffington Post - There’s A Christian Alternative To Obamacare. But There’s A Catch.
  Health sharing ministries cost less than insurance, but don’t make the same coverage guarantees, as this Nebraska couple learned.

 OneShare:

Also called Kingdom Health Care Ministries LLC ("'Kingdom"), now known as OneShare Health, LLC ("OneShare") or Unity Health Care Ministries, LLC ("Unity").

• Lawsuit Hulkenberg-v-Healthshare
• Better Business Bureau - Complaints against OneShare health-sharing-ministry

 

 Samaratin:

• NY Times: "Just trust God" the nonprofit group, Samaritan Ministries, in Peoria, Ill., said in a statement about its coverage, and advises its members that "there is no coverage, no guarantee of payment."

 

Trinity a.k.a. Alieracare

Trinity - Alieracare, based in Sandy Springs,  Georgia, is by far the worst of the Christian health sharing companies.   See our report on them here.