There are affiliate links on this page.
Read our disclosure policy to learn more.

Trinity - Alieracare - Christian Health Sharing Scam

Trinity - Alieracare 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 are certain will be determined to be a scam when legal actions and investigations currently underway conclude: Trinity Health, aka, Alieracare.

What you need to know

First, none of these Christian Health Sharing 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.

Reports about Trinity

Trinity is being sued in at least 4 states under class actions for scamming their customers.(Washington, Colorado, California and Missouri)
Channel 2 news (WSB in Atlanta, Georgia) reports that the FBI is now investigating Trinity.
Customers report that Trinity never pays any "claims".
One doctor's office we spoke with told us they have never been paid by Trinity, that Trinity constantly gives them the run-around.
A jury convicted the founder of Trinity Alieracare with securities fraud and perjury and he was sentenced to more than six years in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $1.65 million.
We have our own direct experience being scammed by Trinity which we will relate below, and if Trinity wants to claim otherwise, we will meet them in court! We have saved documents, recordings of phone calls and screenshots that prove they scam their customers and we are prepared to take them on in court!

Complaints, Lawsuits and Actions being Taken Against Trinity Healthshare, a.k.a. Alieracare

Atlanta WSB-Channel 2 Class action lawsuit filed against health sharing company as FBI investigates complaints. "We reported in January after the Segar family received a $324,000 hospital bill and Aliera would not pay a dime for 10-year-old Lola Grae Segar's emergency brain surgery. "We had a life-threatening emergency. They failed us and her," father Wesley Segars said. It was the same situation for Julie Boulanger, who was left with a $55,000 bill, and a $37,000 heart emergency for Ricky Smallwood. In all these cases, the company providing their health coverage, Atlanta-based Aliera, didn't pay for their medical bills. "There are legitimate health care sharing ministries that offer coverage for their members, but Aliera and Trinity are not one of them," said New Hampshire Insurance Commissioner John Elias, who accuses the companies of selling illegal insurance products.
Georgia family stuck with $325K medical bill, health plan provider refuses to pay. In a Channel 2 Action News investigation in November, we told you how the FBI is investigating Aliera. Aliera administers the payouts for faith-based nonprofit Trinity HealthShare.
Yelp reports about trinity
Several states have taken legal action against one entity - Aliera Healthcare - which administers, markets, and provides support services for Trinity Healthcare, which represents itself as a HCSM. Aliera reportedly has 100,000 members nationwide and collected $215 million in revenue in 2018. After receiving numerous consumer complaints regarding these companies, Colorado, Texas, and Washington issued ceased and desist orders to prevent them from operating in the states.
other states � like New Hampshire and Georgia � have issued warnings about Aliera or other bad actors that may use the fa�ade of a HCSM to skirt state regulation.
Houston woman files lawsuit against health care sharing ministry company Aliera Healthcare - August 13, 2019 - A lawsuit filed last month by the Texas Attorney General on behalf of the Texas Department of Insurance claims Aliera does not qualify as a health care sharing ministry in the state. The lawsuit alleges the company is operating as an insurance company without the right to. In addition to Baine's complaint, there have been a number of similar complaints made in several states across the country including Washington and New Hampshire.
Missouri: Lawsuit: Christian health care ministry was deceptive - A Christian health care sharing ministry sold �inherently unfair and deceptive health plans� to Missouri residents and failed to provide them with coverage, a class action lawsuit alleges. The federal lawsuit against Aliera Companies and Trinity Healthshare comes as millions of people who are unable to afford private insurance are attracted to the low prices offered by health care sharing ministries, KCUR-FM reports.
Trinity's founder Timothy Moses headed International BioChemical Industries Inc., which filed for bankruptcy in 2004 after Moses was charged with securities fraud and perjury. A jury convicted Moses and he was sentenced to more than six years in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $1.65 million.
New Hampshire - Better Business Bureau reports: On May 14, 2019, The State of New Hampshire's Insurance Department issued a consumer alert as a result of a Georgia court order advising consumers that Aliera may be operating illegally in New Hampshire. To view the State of New Hampshire's alert, visit:https://www.nh.gov/insurance/media/pr/2019/documents/press-release-aliera-health-care-sharing-ministry-unlicensed-5-14-19.pdf
Trinity sham sharing-ministry - Washington insurance officials this week said the firm doesn't meet the definition of a sharing ministry and described Aliera's products as a "sham" aimed at misleading consumers. Other states, including Texas and New Hampshire, are poised to take similar action. Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler on Monday ordered Aliera, which operates Trinity Healthshare Inc., both of Delaware, to halt operations in Washington, alleging the firm was selling health insurance illegally and engaging in deceptive business practices. Aliera falsely represented itself as a sharing ministry, which would be exempt from insurance regulations, an investigation found. Though he wouldn't name them, Kreidler said he's investigating two additional firms over similar concerns.
Washington State Bans Trinity - December 30, 2019 - Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler ordered Trinity Healthshare to pay $150,000 and permanently stop insuring people in Washington state. Trinity marketed itself as a health care sharing ministry but failed to meet the legal definition under state law. "Many consumers here and in other parts of the country thought they were buying a health insurance plan, only to find out that pre-existing and chronic conditions weren't covered," Kreidler said. "That resulted in many people facing thousands of dollars of debt for medical expenses they believed would be covered."
State of Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner - Legal Affairs Division
Investigations Unit Final Investigative Report
NY Times: Christian Health Sharing Group Is Target of Customer Lawsuits - State regulators in New York and elsewhere are also trying to stop the marketing of plans they say look like health insurance but offer no guarantees of coverage.
The State of Texas has filed a lawsuit seeking to stop Aliera Healthcare from selling health insurance in Texas and engaging in the business of insurance without a state license. The lawsuit also seeks civil penalties. After filing the lawsuit June 13 in the 53rd Civil District Court in Travis County (Cause Number D-1-GN-19-003388), TDI dismissed the administrative action pending with the State Office of Administrative Hearings.
July 11: The state filed a first amended petition. The amended petition also sought a temporary restraining order and temporary injunction against Aliera, its successors, affiliates, agents, and assigns.
July 12: Aliera and the state participated in a hearing on the temporary restraining order in Travis County District Court. Following the hearing, the judge found that there is evidence of irreparable injury, loss, and/or damage if the court did not issue a temporary restraining order. The judge�s order prohibited Aliera, its successors, affiliates, agents, and assigns, from accepting any new customers in Texas.
July 18: Aliera signed an agreement to:
Not accept or write new business in Texas until the case is resolved.
Not transfer, expend, or disburse any funds outside the ordinary course of business without approval from the court until the case is resolved.
Complaints pile up against health care sharing ministries as state mounts a defense - MARCH 2, 2020. When Corridon submitted his medical bills for coverage, his provider - a religious health care sharing ministry - refused to pay the $280,000 he owed. Aliera Healthcare and the company it markets, Unity HealthShare, denied his claims, saying he had a pre-existing condition.
Corridon, who had never before experienced symptoms, was blindsided."I was shocked. I couldn't believe it," he said. "I had never entertained the possibility that the company would not cover the expenses of the operation." Corridon had been laid off from his job as a review appraiser the year before his surgery. In a frantic search for new health coverage, he took the advice of an insurance agent and signed up for what appeared to be a low-cost option. He thought it was an insurance plan. 'I'm relying on prayer.'

What can you do to help bring the people behind Trinity to justice?

See this excerpt from the law firm who are taking on Trinity:

Sirianni Youtz Spoonemore Hamburger has launched class action lawsuits against Aliera and Trinity Healthshare for issuing health plans that fail to comply with state and federal law. The lawsuits allege that Aliera and Trinity have been refusing to pay claims for health benefits that would otherwise be covered under state and/or federal law, have violated Consumer Protection Acts, and have issued illegal policies and plans that fail to include certain required benefits.

If you have concerns about your health plan with Aliera, Trinity or Ensurian, then we would be happy to speak with you to see if you are covered by one of our lawsuits. You can leave a message here.

There are presently four pending actions against Aliera and Trinity: (1) Jackson, Mellom v. Aliera, Trinity is pending in federal court in Washington State; (2) Larson v. Aliera, Trinity is pending in federal court in Colorado; (3) Kelly v. Aliera, Trinity in pending in federal court in Missouri; and (4) Duncan v. Aliera, Trinity is pending in federal court in California .