Samaritan Ministries: Celebrating 25 years of 'different' next month

Celebrating 25 years of 'different' next month

from Samaritan Ministries

About the same time Samaritan Ministries was starting up 25 years ago, Arby’s ran an ad campaign with this tagline: “Arby’s is different. Different is good.” The idea was that you could go a lot of places to get a hamburger, but if you are looking for something different, come to Arby’s for some roast beef.

When you tell your friends about Samaritan Ministries we hope you’ll convey that sentiment: “Samaritan is different. Different is good.”

We don’t want to be just another health care “hamburger joint.” We want to offer innovative, Christ-honoring service that leads the way in establishing health care sharing best practices and impacts our health care system for the glory of God.

Ten years ago we had just such an opportunity in working to ensure health care sharing was recognized in the Affordable Care Act, and, by God’s grace, we are committed to continuing to honor Jesus Christ, remain faithful to the Scriptures, and advance God’s kingdom in all aspects of ministry. That goes for every interaction with members, staff, partners, and providers, and also the way we tell the world about Samaritan.

This commitment means that at times we will intentionally choose a different approach from other health care sharing organizations when they demonstrate practices that we believe undermine Christian values. It also means that we’re different from health insurance, as we have different operating philosophies based on different worldviews. We recognize that God uses insurance to care for His people and we are grateful for that. However, we believe that as Christians our shared faith in Jesus Christ should be woven throughout every aspect of our lives, including our participation in Christian community within health care. That’s what Samaritan Ministries is all about.

Here are some of the key philosophical and practical differences:

An Expression of Shared Faith: Samaritan’s membership agreement makes it clear that we are a community of Christians helping other Christians. The ministry doesn’t pay for anything, but members commit to faithfully share with one another based on their religious convictions and according to the ministry Guidelines. Insurance does not reflect or rely upon shared values, but is based on detailed contractual obligations to pay for certain treatments at certain facilities, and is open to everyone willing to send the company a check. And since shared faith includes God providing for needs through his people, Samaritan never forces members to apply for government welfare programs rather than share a Need.

Direct Sharing from One Christian to Another: As a community of Christians, Samaritan members send Shares directly to one another and pay their own medical bills rather than send shares to an organization to administer. A small part of the Shares comes to the organization for administrative costs. Insurance companies pool and manage funds that are used to pay health care providers.

Nonprofit Charity, Member-Led: Samaritan is an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) religious charity administering a sharing ministry subject to state and federal laws that govern charities. The federal Affordable Care Act recognizes health care sharing, and on the state level 30 state safe harbor provisions recognize in insurance codes that health care sharing is not insurance. Samaritan is overseen by a member-led Board of Directors, a majority of which is elected by members. We have an annual independent audit and annual report that are available to members (see Member Connect in your Dash Account, under the Board section). Most health insurance companies are for-profit, and all their operations are regulated by extensive state and federal law.

These realities will cause some people to choose insurance, but others, based on the same information, will conclude that the health care sharing model is something that resonates with them and is consistent with their Christian convictions. Different is good! 

Recognizing these key differences is also important in light of recent negative headlines about a growing number of health care sharing organizations that operate differently from Samaritan Ministries. You may have noticed stories reporting on how one organization has come under fire in several states, facing a lawsuit from multiple members, fines from a Department of Insurance, and cease and desist orders. Scripture tells us not to jump to conclusions about a developing situation (Proverbs 18:13,17), but these episodes should remind us to remain committed to Biblical principles that have guided us through 25 years of ministry.

The organizations in question have been accused of disingenuously marketing themselves as insurance with a facade of religiosity, and a few people have complained of being given a false impression of what they were agreeing to. Whether the accusation is true or not, we want to guard against this possibility at Samaritan Ministries. We won’t use misleading lead-generation tactics that bait and switch, and we won’t use insurance agents to promote Samaritan Ministries. We continue to believe that the best advertising is a good reputation that spreads by word of mouth, and we encourage you to refer your friends and receive a $100 credit on your Share for those who join.

As we celebrate our 25th year in ministry, we should continue to place our trust in God and depend on Him in prayer. We can ask Him that this recent controversy be resolved for the good of all and in a way that preserves a good reputation for health care sharing. We can ask him to grow Samaritan Ministries by inspiring fellow believers to apply a Christian worldview to health care. We can ask Him to help us faithfully and boldly share a vision for health care that is different.

If you'd like to learn more about Samaritan Ministries, visit this page with our review and personal experience over the last seven years as members. You can also visit SamaritanMinistries.org. 

Major Growth Continues in Health Care Sharing

For those of you who are long-time readers, I've written quite a bit in the past about health-care sharing and our experience as a family with this different method of dealing with health-related expenses. Back in December of 2016, I wrote an article entitled An Overview: Health Care Sharing's Tremendous Growth, detailing the surge in participation in health care sharing after the passage and implementation of ObamaCare.

Over the two months, I've gathered the latest information from the six nationally-available health care sharing ministries, but before I share the statistics let me explain what exactly "health care sharing" is, for those who are unfamiliar with the term.

Health Care Sharing - Background

Health care sharing is based on a Biblical principle found throughout the Scripture (see Acts 2:44-45), with Galatians 6:2 being a key verse: "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." Applying this principle to health care means Christians banding together to share each other's medical costs.

While there are some minor differences among the major health care sharing ministries, the basic system is the same. Members usually affirm a statement of faith and agree to live a lifestyle that fits certain moral guidelines. Participants commit to a set payment each month, which is sent to fellow members who have submitted their medical bills to the ministry, which assigns those medical needs to specific members each month.

Health Care Sharing Ministries (HCSMs) "are operated by not-for-profit religious organizations acting as a clearinghouse for those who have medical expenses and those who desire to share the burden of those medical expenses." They are not insurance, but HCSMs and their members were exempted from the insurance mandate in ObamaCare and thus paid no penalty or tax during the time it was in effect. HCSMs are legal and operate in all 50 states, U.S. territories, and even have international members (such as missionaries).

HCSM members are considered cash or self-pay patients, and can generally use any physician or hospital that will accept cash/self-pay patients (some of the ministries use networks for extra savings, but they're not required). Most of the ministries also work with third-party groups to negotiate deep discounts on larger bills. Most HCSMs have limitations on pre-existing conditions, but some have more flexibility on them than others.

Health care sharing in a modern sense traces back to the Amish and Mennonites in the 1960's, but in the 1980's and 1990's several new non-denominational (generally evangelical Protestant) groups started which accepted membership nationwide regardless of church affiliation, provided they agreed to the statement of faith and guidelines (as mentioned previously).

According to the Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries, HHS lists 104 known and active health care sharing ministries, 97 of which are Mennonite/Old German Baptist churches or associations with closed membership. Most have fewer than 100 members.

There are currently six main, nationally-available HCSMs. Christian Healthcare Ministries began in 1981. In 1993, Christian Care Ministry started Medi-Share. Samaritan Ministries started sharing in 1994. Altrua HealthShare (2000; 1997 through merger), Solidarity HealthShare (2012; 1990s through affiliation), and Liberty HealthShare (2013; 1995 through affiliation) started sharing more recently, but are affiliated with older groups in order to qualify under the ObamaCare restrictions on HCSMs (continual existence since before 2000 is one rule).

According to a paper published by the Charlotte Lozier Institute last December, there were just over 100,000 participants in HCSMs in 2005. Growth since that time has been exponential, particularly since ObamaCare began to be implemented. I reached out to the six aforementioned ministries and obtained some statistical information to share about their recent increase in participation.

The Nationwide Ministries

We'll now examine the membership stats and brief cost explanations for each of the nationally-available HCSMs, going from largest to smallest.

Christian Care Ministry - Medi-Share

As of December 2018, there were about 411,600 individuals participating in Medi-Share; in December 2016, there were 212,400 members. There are currently about 6,800 members in Oklahoma, up from 3,170 in December 2016.

Monthly membership costs with Medi-Share are quite a bit more complicated than with the other HCSMs, more like typical health insurance. It depends on age, health, and varying initial unshareable costs ranging from $1,000 to $10,500. It looks like it ranges from a low of about $44 (single aged 18, healthy, $10,500 personally responsible before sharing) to a high of about $1,246 (head of household aged 64, 3+ member family, $1,750 pre-sharing).

Medi-Share has no per-incident or lifetime cost limits.

Christian Healthcare Ministries

Christian Healthcare Ministries was not particularly helpful in responding to my inquiry, and was especially reticent when it came to membership figures, saying "here is our policy on discussing numbers: we don’t" -- although a blog post on their site last month said they have "are serving nearly 400,000 Christians". In December 2016, they had somewhere between 150,000 and 200,000 members. They had "over 3,000 members" in Oklahoma in 2016, and would not indicate current levels, but judging from growth rates they likely have around or more than 5,000 Oklahoma members.

Monthly membership costs run from a low of $45 (one individual on 'Bronze' program) to a high of $450 (family of three or larger on the 'Gold' program). CHM's initial unshareable Personal Responsibility cost is $500 per incident for their 'Gold' level, to $5,000 per incident on 'Bronze'. All three levels share up to $125,000 per incident.

CHM also offers Brother's Keeper, an additional giving program that raises the per-incident cap to unlimited for Gold members, and adds $100,000 per year to the Silver/Bronze $125,000 per-incident cap up to a maximum of $1,000,000 (in year 10).

Samaritan Ministries International

As of December 2018, Samaritan Ministries had about 264,000 individuals participating; in November 2016, there were 209,650 members. There are currently about 4,500 members in Oklahoma, up from 3,425 in November 2016.

Monthly membership costs run from a low of $100 (single individual under age 30 on Basic, the lower membership level) to a high of $495 (family of 3+ individuals on Classic, the upper membership level). Samaritan's Classic membership level has a $300 initial unshareable cost (pre-discount) and a per-incident cap of $250,000, while their Basic membership level has a $1,500 unshareable cost (pre-discount) and has a $236,500 per-incident cap.

Samaritan also offers Save To Share, an additional giving program that raises the per-incident cap to unlimited. Members of Save To Share set aside between $133 (single individual) and $399 (3+ family) each year for use if needed by other Save To Share members.

As I've mentioned before, my wife and I have been members of Samaritan Ministries since shortly after getting married in 2012.

Liberty HealthShare and Solidarity HealthShare
(National Coalition of Health Care Sharing Ministries)

Liberty and Solidarity are affiliated organizations, with Liberty being the larger of the two. Solidarity is exclusively for practicing Catholics. The two groups comprise the "National Coalition of Health Care Sharing Ministries", which administers Solidarity and helps with their operations, utilizing Liberty's wider experience. As of December 2018, they had a combined total of 236,000 members; in November 2016, there were about 90,000 individuals participating. They have about 3,000 members in Oklahoma, up from 1,000 members in late 2016.

Monthly membership costs run from a low of $199 (single individual under age 30 on Liberty Share, their lowest level) to a high of $529 (head of household aged 30+, 3+ member family on Liberty Complete, their highest level). Their initial unshareable cost ranges from $1,00 for an individual to $2,250 for a family. Per-incident caps range from $1,000,000 on their highest level to 70% of eligible medical bills up to $125,000 on their lowest level.

Altrua HealthShare

Currently, Altrua HealthShare said they have about 20,000 individuals participating; in December 2016 there were about 25,000 members. Altrua originally began as a Mormon-oriented HCSM in 2000, but changed structure and leadership in 2005 to became non-denominational in reach. They currently have about 300 members in Oklahoma, which was the same figure I was given in 2016. Altrua seems to be the only nationwide HCSM that has not grown.

Monthly membership costs run from a low of $100 (single individual on 'Copper' program) to a high of $874 (family of 3+ members on 'Gold' program). Their initial unshareable costs are a bit complicated, but range from $500 to $7,500 on the first submitted need, and $2,500 to $5,000 on the second need.

Altrua has lifetime sharing limits of $1,000,000 to $2,000,000, with annual caps of $150,000 to $250,000 for their lowest two levels.

Growth continues significant upward trajectory

Following up from my 2016 survey of the state of Health Care Sharing Ministries, we see continued and significant growth among the nationally-available groups. They have all benefited significantly from the turmoil of ObamaCare and the individual mandate exemption available for HCSM members.

There are now over 1,300,000 individuals participating in health care sharing in these six ministries (not counting the smaller localized Amish/Mennonite groups), almost double the 712,000 in late 2016, and 13-times larger than the 100,000 members in 2008.

Here's a chart I put together with the membership information I've gathered from the previously-discussed ministries:

CCM = Medi-Share, SMI = Samaritan Min., CHM = Christian Healthcare Min., Lib/Sol = Liberty+Solidarity

The upward trend in HCSM membership began in 2010, picked up speed through 2014, and rocketed skyward from 2014 to 2016. Major growth has continued since then, albeit at a slightly lower pace. The years with asterisks are dates that I have been able to find few official figures from, and are primarily filled in by the general trends (the other years are actual statistical numbers from the ministries).

Here's the chart for the combined figures from these six nationally-available HCSMs:

There has been an increase of about 1,200% since 2008, and membership in these six HCSMs has nearly doubled in just the last two years.

Not included in these figures are members of the several dozen other organizations who have no online presence, predominately small, localized churches and ministries in the Amish and Mennonite communities. Taking these additional ministries into account, there are likely near 1,500,000 Americans participating in health care sharing organizations across the nation.

Approximately 18,000 to 20,000 Oklahomans are members of one of the six health care sharing ministries I surveyed, up from around 11,000 in 2016.

Q&A on HCSM challenges and legislation

When I reached out to the different ministries, I asked them two questions dealing with challenges facing health care sharing ministries, and legislative action that could help members of HCSMs. Here are their responses.

Q: What do you perceive to be the greatest challenges facing HCSM growth?

Samaritan Ministries:

The biggest challenge has always been the cultural mindset it takes to switch from insurance. Samaritan Ministries is not insurance and society has an insurance mindset. Making the move from insurance to Samaritan takes a shift in thinking. We take great pains to make sure inquirers understand that Samaritan is not insurance, so that also naturally dampens rapid growth. Also, growth has slowed because there are more options for Americans because of regulatory changes to short-term plans, associations plans, and the economy improved leading to more employment and employer-provided insurance.

Liberty Healthshare:

The greatest challenges facing HCSM growth are a lack of awareness of this option, and the need to build the capacity to better serve larger numbers of members. We were the first to begin using TV to market the health sharing option, and we are intensely focused on growing our capacity to process and pay bills in two months and to answer all member calls, as well as making it easier for members to interact with us and stay informed about how their costs are being shared online. We are also assessing additional options to make health sharing more holistic and customizable.

Medi-Share:

While there are bound to be changes in healthcare reform and the healthcare market will continue to evolve, our members will continue to faithfully pray for one another and share in one another’s healthcare burdens, just as they have for the past 25 years.

Christian Healthcare Ministries:

One of the biggest, if not THE, biggest enemies we have is the insurance industry and the insurance regulators thinking we are getting too big. They both are determined to shut us down because some of us have been bragging and seemingly gloating about how fast we are growing and how big we are. This is not just a problem, it is the biggest threat to our existence that currently exists.

Q: Are there specific legislative measures that you would like to see passed on the topic of Health Care Sharing Ministries? What are you doing to help push that along?

Samaritan Ministries:

In the states, we would like to have clarification in their insurance codes that health care sharing is not insurance. That clarification is already in 30 states and we look for opportunities to expand that in the future where possible. Also, tax parity on the state and federal level to allow members to deduct their shares on their income taxes. Additionally, access for members of health care sharing ministries to Health Saving Accounts (HSAs). Congressman Mike Kelly (R-PA) and Collin Peterson (D-MN) previously introduced bipartisan legislation, H.R. 2310, which would amend the IRS code to allow health care sharing members to utilize HSAs. We trust that the legislation will once again be introduced in the next session of Congress.

Liberty Healthshare:

The Trump administration is revising the rules for HRAs. We’ve advised HHS and other agencies of the federal government that inclusion of HCSMs as a viable alternative for employers offering HRAs to their employees honors the free exercise of religion, as well as accommodating religious conscience. Under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, agencies of the federal government have broad discretion to include people of faith in their rule making. Integrating HRAs with HCSMs would accomplish an accommodation of religious practice in healthcare.

Further, some states (i.e. VT) are considering instituting their own insurance individual mandate. We have testified before state committees and advised the state agencies to include an exemption for HCSMs, following the federal model in the ACA.

Medi-Share:

We recently hired a Government Affairs & Policy Representative who is monitoring healthcare legislation and regulation at the Federal and State levels to ensure that our members’ needs are represented.

Christian Healthcare Ministries:

We are not pursuing legislative initiatives. That doesn’t mean we won’t act to protect our members to preserve their ability to exercise this freedom of religious faith or if we feel action is in their interest.

Sharing Works!

Health care sharing is a mature health insurance alternative that has been proven viable by decades of use and billions of dollars worth of medical bills shared. In this era of constant changes in health care and health insurance, it's an exciting option for Christians to consider. Tens of millions of dollars worth of medical needs are shared each and every month by one-and-a-half million individuals across the country, testifying to the fact that this really does work.

My wife and I are members of Samaritan Ministries, and it works for us. I have friends or relatives who are members of Christian Healthcare Ministries, Medi-Share, and Liberty HealthShare, and have heard positive things about each ministry. Sharing works! You might not be aware of it, but you probably know members of health care sharing ministries yourself. Regardless of the ministry, these are all good options that should be looked into.

More Information and Links

If you are interested in more information about health care sharing, or the specific ministries I've mentioned in this article, feel free to utilize these links, or contact me via email.

Nationally-available health care sharing ministries:

• Samaritan Ministries
• Christian Healthcare Ministries
• Liberty HealthShare
• Christian Care Ministry Medi-Share
• Altrua HealthShare
• Solidarity HealthShare

Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries: Samaritan Ministries, Medi-Share and CHM are members of this public policy organization to advocate and provide information about health care sharing to government officials and the general public.

Health Care Sharing Ministries: An Uncommon Bond, published by the Charlotte Lozier Institute, is an informative 35-page report on HCSMs and the savings experienced by members.

My personal experience with Samaritan Ministries: three different medical needs in six years, about $102,000 in medical bills were shared in full by over 110 families across the country. If you look into Samaritan and decide to join, I'd appreciate being listed as your referral (we get a credit), if you've found my information helpful. The other ministries also give referral credits, so if you decide to join a different ministry, I may know someone you could list in that ministry as well.

What does Health Care Sharing with Samaritan Ministries cost?

I've posted about Samaritan Ministries, the health care sharing ministry my wife and I use instead of health insurance, quite a bit in the past, detailing our various experiences with the ministry and how it has enabled us to handle medical needs at little to no out-of-pocket cost.

Since joining Samaritan Ministries, we have had three submitted medical needs totaling over $102,000 in billed charges. As self-pay patients and with help from Samaritan in negotiating for further discounts, those costs were reduced by $48,000, resulting in final bills of just under $54,000 -- every penny of which was paid for on our behalf by fellow Samaritan members.

That's right. The only cost we paid for $102,000 in three incidents was our family membership share of less than $500 per month.

You can learn more about our experiences and how Samaritan works by reading my article here or my series of posts here.

Samaritan Ministries has launched a new level of membership called Samaritan Basic, in addition to what they now call Samaritan Classic. To find out the cost of membership, use the embedded page below or visit this link.



If you decide that Samaritan Ministries is right for your family and decide to join, mention that you heard about it from the Jamison Faught family

Sharing Works! Our latest experience with Samaritan Ministries

My wife and I have been members of Samaritan Ministries since shortly after getting married in 2012. For reasons I've detailed elsewhere, we opted out of the insurance scene and chose to do health care sharing with Samaritan.

If you've never read my posts about health care sharing and are unfamiliar with the process, here's a quick rundown. Health Care Sharing Ministries (HCSMs) are primarily religious-based with minor exceptions. Members agree to a statement of faith and a standard of lifestyle choices. Guidelines govern what medical needs are eligible for sharing (generally with limitations on some pre-existing conditions, and most "preventative" care is not eligible). Medical needs that meet the guidelines are submitted to the HCSM, and those bills are divided and shared by the members at large. As HCSMs are not insurance, members are considered to be self-pay patients and generally able to obtain large discounts on medical bills, cutting down on costs.

For Samaritan Ministries in particular, monthly membership levels (analogous to an insurance premium) range from $100 for a single individual on Samaritan Basic, to $495 for a family of 3+ members (3 or 10, doesn't matter) on Samaritan Classic. Members are responsible for the first $300 of a medical need with Classic, and the first $1500 with Basic (analogous to a per-event insurance deductible); those amounts can be lowered dollar-for-dollar by self-pay discounts you receive on your bills. You can find more information about specific costs for your family situation and details on the two plan options here.

One of the unique aspects of Samaritan Ministries is that members send their monthly shares directly to members with medical needs and are encouraged to send a card or note. All of the other HCSMs have members send their payments to the main office for distribution.

Now, to our latest experience with health care sharing.

In our five years as members of Samaritan Ministries, we have submitted three medical needs for sharing with fellow members: the pregnancy and birth of our daughter in 2015, my 2015 emergency appendectomy, and the pregnancy and birth of our son in November.

Here are some numbers from our most recent medical need shared with Samaritan members:

53,878.34 -- total cost of medical bills before self-pay discounts
33,495.28 -- self-pay discounts received
20,383.06 -- final amount paid
70 -- percentage of the largest self-pay discount
62.17 -- total percentage of the discounts we received
45 -- number of families who shared our medical bills
22 -- number of states we received shares from
$0 -- our net out-of-pocket cost

This is what health-care sharing with Samaritan Ministries looks like! Samaritan members are encouraged to send cards or notes with words of encouragement and prayer to those who they are assigned to send money to each month. With this latest medical need, we received cards from as far away as Delta Junction, Alaska!

The cards pictures above came from members in the following states who were assigned to share our medical need: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Being a self-pay patient can sometimes result in a little more work (primarily through having to explain that you don't technically have insurance and don't want to sit through a presentation on why they think you need it), but almost always results in significantly lower costs. As an illustration of the fraud that is modern health care, we got a 70% self-pay discount on a $44,000 bill -- a whopping $31,000 was knocked off leaving us with a $13,000 bill. The inflated costs of healthcare due to insurance paperwork and flat-out overcharging is absurd. Health care sharing is a free market solution that results in lower costs and greater flexibility for consumers.

Health care sharing works!

Want to learn more about Samaritan Ministries? Read more about our past experiences here, or contact me via email for more one-on-one discussion.

Samaritan Ministries hits 250,000-member milestone

Cards and notes sent to us by fellow Samaritan Ministries members who shared one of our medical needs in 2015.

Longtime readers may remember that my wife and I are members of Samaritan Ministries, a health care sharing ministry for Christians. We left the standard insurance scene over five years ago, and haven't regretted it for a moment. You can learn more about our experience at this link; I'll be posting an update soon as well.

Samaritan Ministries is the second-largest HCSM in operation (see my post from December 2016 detailed the tremendous growth of healthcare sharing ministries), and announced last night that they broke through the 250,000 membership mark:

Samaritan Ministries hits 250,000-member milestone

By Samaritan staff

As of March 28, Samaritan Ministries International has reached 250,000 individual members who are praying for one another, sending notes and cards of encouragement, and giving monthly financial shares directly to other member families.

In this way, Samaritan’s nearly 80,000 member households share $26 million in medical needs each month through an effective, affordable and God-honoring ministry for Christian families.

“This journey over the past 23 years has been such an amazing demonstration of God’s faithfulness and provision,” said Anthony Hopp, Samaritan Ministries’ vice president of external relations. “And we are so thankful that God has steadily brought together a quarter million of His people to honor Him through their health care, praying and caring directly and personally for their brothers and sisters in Christ. This is how Biblical believers should handle health care needs—bearing one another’s burdens, just as the Bible instructs in Galatians 6:2.”

Month after month, Samaritan members report how this direct-sharing model for health care not only allows them to honor God but also be a part of a larger Biblical community.

“My family and I are full of gratitude and appreciation for Samaritan Ministries,” said Kurt and Claire from Hawaii. “It is such a blessing to know that we can turn to the members in times of need. The process is so simplified now and so very efficient. We are so grateful for the time and effort Samaritan has put in to provide support and help for us and others in time of need. Receiving shares from fellow Samaritan members is so meaningful. The prayers and thoughtful words in the notes from sharing members are so lovely and sometimes bring tears to my eyes. Even better, I look forward to sending off my contribution every month and sharing our support to the members of our community.”

Daniel and Mollie of Virginia said they have put Samaritan Ministries “to the test” twice and the process has worked better than they could have imagined.

“Getting cards and letters with prayers for healing, plus the money to pay bills, is indescribably comforting,” they write. “I actually look forward to sending my share every month.”

Daniel and Jordan from Tennessee called the Samaritan staff “amazing and helpful.”

“We love Samaritan Ministries!” they remarked. “We always have a good experience when we need to talk to a staff member!”

Added Hans and Rachel from Kansas, “It is so encouraging to know our monthly share is going directly to a fellow believer, to help them financially, and through prayer as well! So much more fulfilling to write the check each month instead of sending it to insurance.”

Learn more about my family's 5-year experience with Samaritan Ministries by visiting this link!

Samaritan Ministries adds new 'Basic' level

I've written over the past several years about Health-Care Sharing Ministries (HCSMs) and our experience with Samaritan Ministries in particular. With health insurance enrollment upon us again, it's time to mention an alternative for people who are looking for something better.

If you're unfamiliar with how health-care sharing works, read my page entitled Health Care Sharing -- Our Experience.

Recently, Samaritan Ministries added a new membership level, called Samaritan Basic, which allows for less expensive monthly sharing and more individual responsibility. The graphic below illustrates the cost levels and differences between Samaritan Basic and Samaritan Classic:

(click image to view larger)

Unlike "traditional" insurance, there is no enrollment period with HCSMs, so people can join at any point of the year. Although it is not classified as health insurance, membership in a HCSM does exempt you from the tax penalty in ObamaCare.

Health-care sharing has worked well for my wife and I. In the past three years, we've submitted nearly $50,000 in medical needs, every penny of which was shared by fellow members across the country.

Last December, I did a survey of the main HCSMs which showed that well over 700,000 people are participating in health-care sharing ministries across the country. That number continues to increase every month, and is likely near one million by now. Will you join that number?

If you have any questions about Samaritan Ministries, and health-care sharing in general, feel free to contact me.

Skip the insurance uncertainty - explore health-care sharing!

With the uncertainty in the health insurance market right now over the future of ObamaCare and whatever replacement Congress ultimately ends up passing, I'd like to share our experience with a non-insurance, Christian-based health care option: using a Health-Care Sharing Ministry.

As healthcare costs continue to skyrocket, families are struggling with the high price of health insurance. Under ObamaCare, other issues with health insurance have come to the forefront as well, such as religious organizations being forced to cover procedures and drugs that go against their beliefs. Is there a different path than the health insurance industry? Is there another option that fits your family's moral values, doesn't support abortion, and is affordable?

Enter, Samaritan Ministries. 

My wife and I joined Samaritan Ministries at the end of 2012. Samaritan Ministries is a not-for-profit religious organization classified as a health-care sharing ministry, and is not considered to be traditional "health insurance". HCSMs are exempt from the individual mandate in ObamaCare.

Why do Health Care Sharing?

Growing up in a self-employed family, for much of my childhood my family was either uninsured or insured under catastrophic, doomsday plans that were of practically no benefit to us. The times when we did have insurance, we rarely used it (and by rarely, I mean rarely).

Let's fast forward some. My wife and I got married in September 2012, and researched numerous insurance options around that time period. I looked, but finding something affordable for us and still usable was practically impossible.

Ultimately, we opted out of the traditional insurance scene, and (as I mentioned previously) joined Samaritan Ministries.

Galatians 6:2 says "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." It is out of this principle that Health-Care Sharing Ministries operate. Applying this principle to health-care expenses results in the Body of Christ operating as it did in the days of the Early Church -- encouraging fellow believers in difficult situations through prayer and sharing the load.

As followers of Jesus Christ, the Biblical focus of Samaritan Ministries appealed to us in a way that traditional health insurance did not. Additionally, HCSMs tend to be much more affordable than the premiums and deductibles of insurance.

Who Can Join Samaritan Ministries?

To be a member of Samaritan Ministries, you must be a professing Christian, agree to the Samaritan Ministries Statement of Faith, be a regularly attending member of a church, agree to certain moral standards (dealing with alcohol, tobacco, and sexual activity), and have your pastor or church leader sign a testimonial form. You can view the Application Form here, and the Guidelines here.

How It Works

Members of Samaritan Ministries commit to sending a set "Share" each month (similar to an insurance premium) directly to fellow members with "Needs". Monthly "Shares" are not run through a central administration office, where funds could be diverted to office costs.

Here’s how the Needs Process works in a little more detail:

Samaritan Ministries publishes a monthly newsletter mailing that reports the total Shares and Needs and includes an individualized Share Notice for each member household. The Share Notice tells each household how to pray for a specific member with a Need and what his address is, so the Share can be sent to him. Typically less than 10 percent of the members have a Need in a given month and are receiving Shares.

When a member has a health care “Need” he receives health care treatment from a provider of his choice, collects the bills, and sends them to Samaritan Ministries. Samaritan Ministries verifies that the Need meets the Guidelines. Then, in the monthly newsletter mailing, Samaritan Ministries directs some members to send their Shares to the member with the Need. The member with the need receives the shares to pay his health care bills.

When a member has a medical need, the first $300 of the bill is the member's responsibility (similar to an insurance deductible). After the first $300, any other expense on up to $250,000 can be shared (click here for the Guidelines). Members can join SM's Save To Share program, which involves setting aside funds (ranging from $133 for singles, to $399 for a family) which may be needed from time to time for needs greater than $250,000. There is a $15-per-year administrative cost for S2S.

Members cover the first $300 on three Needs per year; if they have any additional Needs, the entire amount is shared. Members are encouraged to negotiate for bill reductions; any bill reduction is applied to their $300 responsibility amount, making it possible to entirely eliminate that amount.

Personal example - I had an emergency appendectomy and hospitalization in June of 2015. My medical bills were in the neighborhood of $33,000. I was ultimately able to get a 35% discount for a final amount of around $22,000. Because of the discounts we obtained, the entire amount was shared with Samaritan members. The picture below shows the cards and notes we received from 55 families who helped pay my medical bills.

Cards and checks received from about 55 Samaritan Ministries families across the country

When we shared the medical bills from my wife's pregnancy and birth expenses, once again, every penny was shared due to the bill reductions we received (self-pay discounts of 40% in some instances).

On rare occasions, if there are more Needs than Shares, Needs are prorated. Explanation from SM's FAQ:

What happens if there are more medical needs than shares in a month?

Sometimes we can overlap needs from two months so that there is enough money for all the needs. However, if all needs cannot be met, we use a prorating method to evenly distribute the burden. For example, if there is only enough share money for 90 percent of the needs submitted for a particular month, only 90 percent of each need would be published in the newsletter for that month. If prorating occurs three months in a row without being reversed, the Board must propose a share increase to the members for a vote.

There is a flip side to "Needs-outnumbering-Shares", which I'll address in the cost section.

What Does It Cost?

Members of Samaritan Ministries agree to share the following amounts per month, based on household size:

• 1 person family - $220
• 2 person family - $440
• 3+ person family - $495
• Single parent family - $305

When one or both of the heads of household are under 26 years old, there is a discount:

• 1 person family - $180 ($40 discount)
• 2 person family - $360 ($80 discount)
• 3+ person family - $445 ($50 discount)
• Single parent family - $255 ($50 discount)

Any changes to Share amounts is subject to a vote of the entire membership, and has to have 60% in order to pass. Since we joined in December 2012, the membership has only approved two increases (most recent was August 2016).

The flip side of "Needs-outnumbering-Shares" is that if Shares outnumber Needs (like they have for the past two months!), the share figure for the month is temporarily reduced. For example, in October 2014, the amount of dollars "shared" outnumbered the dollars in "needs", so there was a 10% reduction in October's Share amount. Instead of us sending $280 to a member in need, we sent $252. This also happened in November 2014 (5% reduction), May 2015 (5% reduction), November 2016 (5% reduction), and December 2016 (6% reduction).

More Information

Currently, there are over 69,000 families (about 225,000 individuals) participating in Samaritan Ministries. For more information about why they do, visit SamaritanMinistries.org. You can view videos, testimonials, Frequently Asked Questions, the Guidelines, the Application Form, and much more.

Members of Samaritan Ministries also have access to free medical advice from medical professionals, a 24/7 RN hotline, discount labs and prescriptions, as well as tools to help identify quality providers and fair prices for procedures. More information on that is here.

Here are some more posts about Samaritan Ministries:

• Our first medical need with Samaritan Ministries
• Our second medical need with Samaritan Ministries  
• A December 2016 overview of Health Care Sharing's tremendous growth

If you are interested in joining, I'd be more than happy to talk with you. You can call me at (918) 869-6000, or email me at JamisonFaught@MuskogeePolitico.com. When a member refers someone who then becomes a member, Samaritan Ministries gives the referring member a credit. Obviously, that's some incentive, but regardless of that, Samaritan Ministries is a great organization.

An Overview: Health Care Sharing's Tremendous Growth

For those of you who are long-time readers, I've written quite a bit in the past about health-care sharing and our experience as a family with this different method of dealing with health-related expenses. With constant changes in the health care field, I thought I'd take some time to explore some of the growth this concept has had in the past eight years.

Over the last few weeks, I've gathered information from the six nationally-available health care sharing ministries, but before I share the statistics let me explain what exactly "health care sharing" is, for those who are unfamiliar with the term.

An Introduction to Health Care Sharing

Health care sharing is based on a Biblical principle found throughout the Scripture (see Acts 2:44-45), with Galatians 6:2 being a key verse: "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." Applying this principle to health care means Christians banding together to share each other's medical costs.

While there are some minor differences among the major health care sharing ministries, the basic system is the same. Members usually affirm a statement of faith and agree to live a lifestyle that fits certain moral guidelines (including but not limited to: no sexual activity outside of Biblical marriage, restrictions on tobacco and alcohol, and usually a minimum church attendance or involvement level). Members commit to a set amount each month, which is sent to fellow members who have submitted their medical bills to the ministry, which assigns those medical needs to specific members each month.

Health Care Sharing Ministries (HCSMs) "are operated by not-for-profit religious organizations acting as a clearinghouse for those who have medical expenses and those who desire to share the burden of those medical expenses." They are not insurance, but HCSMs and their members are exempt from the insurance mandate in ObamaCare and pay no penalty or tax. HCSMs are legal and operate in all 50 states, U.S. territories, and even have international members (such as missionaries).

HCSM members are considered cash or self-pay patients, and can generally use any physician or hospital that will accept cash/self-pay patients (one or two of the ministries use networks for extra savings, but they're not required). Most of the ministries also work with third-party groups to negotiate deep discounts on larger bills.

Health care sharing in a modern sense traces back to the Amish and Mennonites in the 1960's, but in the 1980's and 1990's several new non-denominational (generally evangelical Protestant) groups started which accepted membership nationwide regardless of church affiliation, provided they agreed to the statement of faith and guidelines (as mentioned previously).

According to a 2014 article by Politico's Brett Norman says "53 health-sharing groups have been certified by CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) as qualifying for the individual mandate exemption. Many are small churches with fewer than 100 members."

There are currently six main, nationally-available HCSMs. Christian Healthcare Ministries began in 1981. In 1993, Christian Care Ministry started Medi-Share. Samaritan Ministries started sharing in 1994. Altrua HealthShare (2000, 1997 through merger), Solidarity HealthShare (2012, 1990s through affiliation), and Liberty HealthShare (2013, 1995 through affiliation) started sharing more recently, but are affiliated with older groups in order to qualify under the ObamaCare restrictions on HCSMs (continual existence since before 2000 is one rule).

According to a paper published by the Charlotte Lozier Institute last December, there were just over 100,000 participants in HCSMs in 2005. Growth since that time has been exponential, particularly since ObamaCare began to be implemented. I reached out to the six aforementioned ministries and obtained some statistical information to share about their growth.

The Nation-wide Ministries

Christian Care Ministry - Medi-Share

As of November 2016, there were about 212,400 individuals participating in Medi-Share; in December 2008, there were 37,900, for an eight-year increase of about 460%. There are currently about 3,170 members in Oklahoma.

Monthly membership with Medi-Share is a little more complicated, a little more like traditional insurance. It depends on age, health, and varying pre-sharing levels ranging from $500 to $10,000. It looks like it ranges from $36 (17, healthy, $10,000 personally responsible before sharing) to between $1,060 and $1,925 (head of household older than 65, family, $1,250 pre-sharing). Medi-Share is not available in Montana.

Samaritan Ministries International

As of November 2016, Samaritan Ministries had 209,650 individuals participating; in December 2008, that number was about 40,500, for an eight-year increase of about 418%. There are 3,425 members in Oklahoma.

Monthly membership runs from $180 (single individual under 26, young adult discount) to $495 (for a family of three or larger). Samaritan's pre-sharing level is $300 per submitted need, with a pre-sharing limit on the first three needs (none of additional needs), for a max of $900.

Christian Healthcare Ministries

Christian Healthcare Ministries was not particularly helpful in responding to my questions, only confirming that they have "well over 150,000 actively participating members", likely between 175,000 and 200,000 nationally. In December 2008, they probably had around 18,000 members, for an eight-year increase of about 872%. They have "over 3,000 members" in Oklahoma.

Monthly membership runs from $45 (one individual on 'Bronze' program) to $450 (family of three or larger on the 'Gold' program). CHM's pre-sharing level is $500 per unit per year for their 'Gold' level, to $5,000 per incident on 'Bronze'.

Liberty HealthShare and Solidarity HealthShare (National Coalition of Health Care Sharing Ministries)

Liberty and Solidarity are affiliated organizations, with Liberty being the larger of the two. Solidarity is exclusively for practicing Catholics. The two groups comprise the "National Coalition of Health Care Sharing Ministries", which administers Solidarity and helps with their operations, utilizing Liberty's wider experience. As of November 2016, the two groups totaled over 90,000 individuals participating; in December 2008, their parent groups had about 3,000 members, for an eight-year increase of about 2900%. Approximately 1,000 members are in Oklahoma.

Monthly membership runs from $107 (single individual under age 30 on lowest program) to $499 (senior adult couple on 'Complete' program). Liberty and Solidarity have the same prices and programs. Their pre-sharing level ranges from $500 for an individual to $1,500 for a family.

Altrua HealthShare

Currently, Altrua HealthShare has about 25,000 individuals participating; in 2008, that figure was about 1,500, for an eight-year increase of about 1567%. Altrua originally began as a Mormon-oriented HCSM in 2000, but changed structure and leadership in 2005 to became non-denominational in reach. They currently have about 300 members in Oklahoma.

Monthly membership runs from $10 (single individual under 40 on 'Bronze' program) to $780 (family on 'Gold Standard' program; add $50 on any program for the 6th and following family members). Their pre-sharing level is from $500 per person ("Gold Standard" program) to $4,000 ("Bronze" program) per year.

Tremendous Growth since 2008

When combining figures I've collected online and through direct requests, we see that for a period of several years (at least 2005-2010), there were between 100,000 and 120,000 members of health care sharing ministries nationwide. However, once the Affordable Care Act began to be implemented in 2012 and 2013, HCSM growth exploded like a rocket. There are now over 712,000 individuals participating in health care sharing across the country, a growth of over 600% since 2008.

I used 2008 as the starting point of this overview for several reasons: 1) The election of Barack Obama started a period of new health care policy under a new presidential administration. 2) Obama made his health care plan a key part of his first campaign, and when he won plans began immediately to make a complete change to the American health care system. 3) Those changes began disrupting a fairly settled, existing system (one that need some reforms, albeit of a completely different bent), forcing people to explore other options, and particularly bringing attention to the previously little-known concept of health care sharing.

Here's a chart I put together with the membership information I've gathered from the previously-discussed ministries:

CCM = Medi-Share, SMI = Samaritan Min., CHM = Christian Healthcare Min., Lib/Sol = Liberty+Solidarity

As you can see, beginning in 2013, the figures simply take off. The years with asterisks ('09, '11, '12, '14) were dates I had few official figures from, and are based on the general trends. Otherwise, I was able to directly obtain figures from the various ministries or else glean them from news reports and documents online.

The "big three" (Medi-Share, Samaritan, Christian Healthcare Ministries) all had a modest amount of members to begin with, while Liberty/Solidarity and Altrua didn't really start enrolling until 2013 and 2015.

Here's the chart for the combined figures from these six nationally-available HCSMs:

There's been an increase of over 600% since 2008, and membership in these six HCSMs has doubled in just the last eighteen months.

Not included in these figures are members of the several dozen other organizations who have no online presence, predominately small, localized churches and ministries in the Amish and Mennonite communities. I've reached out to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (which certifies HCSMs) for more information, which I hope to receive soon, but we all know how slow the wheels of government can move. Taking these additional ministries into account, there could be as many as 750,000 Americans participating in health care sharing organizations across the nation.

Oklahoma has a 25% higher participation rate than the nation at large, with a total of around 11,000 Oklahomans being members of different HCSMs.

Expectations with the Trump Administration

When I reached out to the different ministries, I asked them what they hoped or expected to see regarding HCSMs in the upcoming Trump administration. Here are a few of their comments.

Samaritan Ministries:

Joel Noble, Public Policy Department: We are optimistic about the upcoming political climate. We will plan on passing legislation to amend the tax code so health care sharing membership qualifies for a health savings account (HAS). We will also seek to clarify existing tax law to permit taxpayers to deduct health care sharing amounts and any fees. Additionally, we are positioned well to be involved in whatever repeal/replace looks like for the ACA as it would relate to health care sharing, if and when that happens.

Medi-Share:

Any changes to the Affordable Care Act will take some time to implement, and we’ll keep our members well-informed of any potential impact to them. In the meantime, our members will continue to faithfully share in one another’s healthcare burdens as they have since 1993.

Christian Healthcare Ministries:

We trust our future, regardless of administration, will be the same as our past, which is that we will be able to fulfill our purpose of glorifying God and serving His people. That’s all we do and want to do.

Liberty HealthShare/Solidarity HealthShare:

We are expecting continued recognition of healthcare sharing as a means of sharing medical costs, a method chosen by people wishing to live their faith by sharing in each others’ time of needs.

Altrua HealthShare:

Randall Sluder, Executive Director: "There's nothing negative that I see coming [regarding health care sharing] from the Trump administration."

Conclusion

Health care sharing has been around for quite some time, and is poised to continue rapid growth in this era of constant changes in health care and health insurance. For Christians, it's an exciting non-insurance method that deserves consideration. Tens of millions of dollars worth of medical needs are shared each and every month by three-quarters of a million individuals across the country, testifying to the fact that this really does work.

My wife and I are members of Samaritan Ministries, and it works for us. I have a relative who is in Christian Healthcare Ministries, and it works for them. I go to church with a Medi-Share member, and it works for them. I have a carpet cleaning customer who is a member of Liberty HealthShare, and it works for them. You might not be aware of it, but you probably know members of health care sharing ministries yourself! Regardless of the ministry, these are all good options that should be looked into.

More Information and Links

If you are interested in more information about health care sharing, or the specific ministries I've mentioned in this article, feel free to utilize these links, or contact me via email.

Nationally-available health care sharing ministries (alphabetical order so nobody gets upset 😉):

• Altrua HealthShare
• Christian Care Ministry Medi-Share
• Christian Healthcare Ministries
• Liberty HealthShare
• Samaritan Ministries
• Solidarity HealthShare

Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries: Samaritan Ministries and Medi-Share have formed this public policy organization to advocate and provide information about health care sharing to government officials and the general public. They have a handy page detailing the legal status of health care sharing in all 50 states, viewed here.

Health Care Sharing Ministries: An Uncommon Bond, published by the Charlotte Lozier Institute, is an informative 35-page report on HCSMs and the savings experienced by members.

My personal experience with Samaritan Ministries: two different medical needs in four years, about $50,000 in medical bills were shared in full by over 70 families across the country. If you look into Samaritan and decide to join, I'd appreciate being listed as your referral (we get a credit), if you've found my information helpful. The other ministries also give referral credits, so if you decide to join a different ministry, I may know someone you could list in that ministry as well.

"Open Enrollment"? Samaritan Ministries is always open!

2016 health insurance open enrollment is currently about halfway through, with a deadline of January 31st, 2016. The ObamaCare tax/penalty for not having health insurance is substantially higher for 2016 than it was in previous years: 2.5% of household income, or $695 per adult - whichever is higher.

Costs for health insurance have skyrocketed, and competition has plummeted; in fact, premiums in Oklahoma are set to jump 35%, with only two companies offering plans here. Some states have only one insurance company available.

I've blogged previously about my wife and I being members of Samaritan Ministries, a healthcare-sharing ministry. We opted out of traditional health insurance three years ago, and joined this wonderful organization.

Here are a few distinctives about Samaritan Ministries:

• No narrow enrollment period

Unlike traditional insurance, you can sign up with Samaritan Ministries at any time of the year.

• Stable, affordable cost

The monthly cost ranges from $180 for a single person under 26, to $495 for a 3+ person family. Monthly share rates increase only by a two-thirds vote of the membership, so the cost is much more stable than health insurance.

• Usable

Health insurance deductibles can easily be $5,000 or more, in addition to other out-of-pocket costs. Health-care sharing ministries like Samaritan Ministries have a few things that aren't eligible to share (see their guidelines), but generally speaking the amount you are personally responsible for is $300 - but even that can be eliminated if you receive discounts on your medical bills.

Personal example: in 2015, between my wife's pregnancy/childbirth and my emergency appendectomy, we had about $50,000 in medical bills. After getting self-pay discounts of nearly $15,000, the remainder (about $35,000) was shared to the penny by fellow Samaritan Ministries members. We weren't out anything - no $5,000 deductible, nothing.

• Biblical

Samaritan Ministries applies Biblical principles in every aspect of the ministry. From membership qualifications and lifestyles, to ministry accountability, to what health needs are eligible to share (i.e. no paying for abortions, etc).

• Personal touch

Samaritan Ministries has a very personal touch. Those cards in the picture above? That represents about 55 families across the country who paid my medical bills when I had an emergency appendectomy. Members send their monthly shares directly to members with medical needs, and are encouraged to send cards or notes and to pray for the member in need. When did your insurance company ever do that?!

• Exempt from penalty/tax

Although not considered "insurance", Samaritan Ministries (and a few other health-care sharing ministries) meets ObamaCare's requirement to have insurance or pay a penalty/tax. HCSMs were specifically exempted in the Affordable Care Act.

• Physician flexibility

Rather than being tied into specific networks,Samaritan Ministries members have the flexibility to go to whichever physicians and facilities they desire. As a self-pay patient, you enable the doctor's office to cut out paperwork and insurance hassles, and generally are able to receive significant discounts.


In our three years as members of Samaritan Ministries, we have submitted two medical needs. Read about our first one here, and see how needs are submitted. Read about our second one here, and find out about bill reductions and self-pay discounts. You can also read other posts I've done about Samaritan Ministries here and here.

More Information

Currently, there are over 50,000 families (more than 165,000 individuals) participating in Samaritan Ministries. For more information about why they do, visit SamaritanMinistries.org. You can view videos, testimonials, Frequently Asked Questions, the Guidelines, the Application Form, and much more.

If you are interested in joining, I'd be more than happy to talk with you. You can call me at (918) 869-6000, or email me at JamisonFaught@MuskogeePolitico.com. When a member refers someone who then becomes a member, Samaritan Ministries gives the referring member a credit.

KFOR: Oklahoma Obamacare premiums see 35% price hike

Right in time for Halloween, ObamaCare is out with some new - and scary - price increases for Oklahomans.

From KFOR-TV in Oklahoma City:

Oklahomans who buy health insurance on the federal marketplace could be in for sticker shock this year.

The Department of Health and Human Services is estimating premiums will jump 35 percent on average for the one company returning to the exchange this year: Blue Cross Blue Shield.

According to HHS, last year, more than 126,000 Oklahomans took their pick of plans from four different companies: Blue Cross Blue Shield, Community Care, Global Health and Assurant.

This year, three of those companies dropped out, and only one - United Healthcare - stepped in to replace them.

Read more here, and watch KFOR's clip below:


I'll take "Things Conservatives Said Would Happen" for $1000, Mr. Trebek.

On this note, let me point you once again to my posts on Samaritan Ministries, a non-insurance alternative for Christians that is exempt from the ObamaCare penalty-tax. It's been great for my family -- it's morally acceptable, financially affordable, and realistically usable. Take a leap of faith, and leave the insurance/ObamaCare mess behind!

Samaritan Ministries: insurance alternative for Christians

With the next health insurance open enrollment starting on November 1st, many people will be looking into getting insurance or switching plans. With ObamaCare changing how health insurance works, it's becoming increasingly difficult to find plans that actually work, are usable, and don't cost an arm and a leg. For Christians, there's the added question of supporting companies that pay for abortions and other immoral and unbiblical practices.

I'd like to present another option for you...

... get out of traditional health insurance altogether!

Before you think I'm nuts, let me introduce you to Samaritan Ministries.

My wife and I have been members of Samaritan Ministries since December of 2012. Samaritan Ministries is a not-for-profit religious organization classified as a health-care sharing ministry, and is not traditional "health insurance".

Samaritan Ministries and similar organizations are an innovative free-market non-insurance solution to today's healthcare needs. They satisfy the 'ObamaCare'/Affordable Care Act's requirement to purchase health insurance or pay a tax-penalty. Unlike health insurance, you can sign up at any time, not just during an enrollment period.

Samaritan Ministries is Biblical

Galatians 6:2 says "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." It is out of this principle that health-care sharing ministries like Samaritan operate. Applying this principle to health-care expenses results in the Body of Christ operating as it did in the days of the Early Church -- encouraging fellow believers in difficult situations through prayer and sharing the load.

Samaritan Ministries operates on Biblically-based foundational principles:
1. Jesus Christ is the only adequate Provider for every need we have
2. A medical need (or any other need) involves more than money
3. Believers in Jesus Christ are responsible to first use the resources He has given us to meet the needs of ourselves and our families
4. The local church should be the next “line of defense” to provide for the needs of its own members
5. God created man as His image bearer and the crown of His creation.

To be a member of Samaritan Ministries, you must be a professing Christian, agree to the Samaritan Ministries Statement of Faith, be a regularly attending member of a church, agree to certain moral standards (dealing with alcohol, tobacco, and sexual activity), and have your pastor or church leader sign a testimonial form. You can view the Application Form here, and the Guidelines here.

In the monthly mailing sent to members, Samaritan Ministries includes a daily prayer guide for the month listing different prayer requests and medical needs that members have. Prayer is important to Samaritan Ministries - one of their mottoes is "Send a note, Pay your share, Always stay alert in prayer."

Samaritan Ministries is Affordable

Cost is a big factor in dealing with healthcare and insurance. Samaritan Ministries is very affordable and simple to understand. There are four basic monthly levels, with discounts when one or both heads of household are under 26:

• Single: $180 ($140 under 26) 8/2016 figure: $220 / $180 
• Couple: $360 ($280 under 26) 8/2016 figure: $440 / $360
• Parents with kids (3+ person family): $405 ($355 under 26) 8/2016 figure: $495 / $445
• Widowed or divorced with children: $250 ($200 under 26) 8/2016 figure: $305 / $255

11 months out of the year, you send your monthly "Share" directly to a fellow member with a medical "Need". Once a year, your monthly Share is sent to the Samaritan Ministries office for administrative costs - the only time money is not directly sent to a fellow member.

The amounts are only changed by a super-majority vote of the membership.

Samaritan Ministries is Usable

For medical "Needs" that meet the Guidelines, you are responsible for the first $300. Any amount after that is shared with other Samaritan members. If you receive any discounts on your medical bills, that discount is taken out of your personal responsibility amount, so it's very easy to essentially cancel out that $300. Samaritan Ministries partners with The Karis Group to negotiate reductions on large bills. More on that in a bit.

After your first three medical needs submitted in a year, the $300 personal responsibility sum is waived for successive needs that year. Theoretically, whether you have three medical needs in a year (that meet the Guidelines) or ten, it's just $900 that won't be shared.

Here's a personal example. In June, I had an emergency appendectomy. Total cost for my procedure and hospital stay was in the ballpark of $33,000. I explained to the hospital that I was a self-pay patient (briefly went through how Samaritan Ministries works), and received a 20% discount. Samaritan hooked me up with The Karis Group, and they were able to negotiate a 35% discount instead of my initial 20% reduction. On some of the other bills, I was able to get between 20% and 40% marked off by being self-pay. All told, my original cost of around $33,000 was reduced to around $22,000, and every penny was shared by Samaritan members across the country.

Cards and checks received from about 55 Samaritan Ministries families across the country

My wife's [uneventful] pregnancy and [very eventful, emergency c-section] delivery in July cost an initial $15,000. After self-pay reductions of around 40%, the final total was around $11,500 -- and again, every penny is being shared by Samaritan Ministries families across the country.

Another plus to Samaritan Ministries is that you're not restricted to certain physicians and medical providers -- you can go wherever you want! Remember "If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor"? That's actually true with health-care sharing ministries.

Currently, over 49,000 families (nearly 160,000 individuals) participate in Samaritan Ministries. In September 2015, there were 4,407 medical needs being shared with a grand total of $13,915,033 (approximately $3,157 per need). So far this year, about $100,000,000.00 worth of medical needs has been shared by Samaritan members.

To read more on how the need submitting process works, see my post from March, when we submitted our first medical need - Samaritan Ministries works: our experience. For some more in-depth details, see my page devoted to this topic: Samaritan Ministries -- Health-Care Sharing.

More Information 

Currently, there are nearly 50,000 families participating in Samaritan Ministries. For more information about why they do, visit SamaritanMinistries.org. You can view videos, testimonials, Frequently Asked Questions, the Guidelines, the Application Form, and much more. 

If you are interested in joining, I'd be more than happy to talk with you about our experience. You can call me anytime at (918) 869-6000, or email me at JamisonFaught@MuskogeePolitico.com. If the information I've given you is helpful, and you decide to join Samaritan Ministries, I'd greatly appreciate it if you would put me down as your referral when you fill out your Application Form (Samaritan Ministries gives members a referral credit).

I hope that our experience has been helpful and given you useful information about health-care sharing ministries, and Samaritan Ministries in particular.