Christian Health Ministries

[rousemark]

The oldest and largest is Christian Healthcare Ministries. Mike Huckabee has a video segment on the front of their website: Christian Healthcare Ministries: The affordable, biblical solution to healthcare costs

According to their site, you get one free month of coverage (premium waived) for each "friend" you refer. I wonder if "member cost sharing" coverage is better than your typical Limited-Benefit policy if you need surgery? That depends on a lot of variables..right?
ac

Would hate to think I was depending on it when I had the open heart surgery or the cancer..

 

[deadhead]

This is the one we are going with

Samaritan Ministries International - Samaritan Ministries International

 

[AllenChicago]

This is the one we are going with

Samaritan Ministries International - Samaritan Ministries International

The Samaritan Membership Booklet is fascinating to read. The terms/wording they use for deductibles, premiums, exclusions, benefit limits, etc., are very creative.

Benefit Booklet: Guidelines - Samaritan Ministries International

However, I wouldn't want to have to tell a surgeon that I'm depending on my newsletter friends to pay his fees.
ac

 

[rousemark]

I wish you all the best. And I will pray that neither you nor anyone you recommend this program to ever has a serious health condition requiring immediate treatment.

I notice that if a person has Type I Diabetes or heart issues prior to joining,those conditions are never eligible for "publication" . The same with cancer unless the recurrence is "unrelated" to the prior cancer.

 

[Yagents]

There are only a certain few religious programs that exempt you from the obamacare mandate. Read the law so you're not surprised by the penalty at end of the year.

It was listed on a thread a while ago

 

[somarco]

Good Sam has been around a while and is one of the more successful programs, but that is not an endorsement. People complain about "loopholes" in insurance contracts. That is nothing compared to the sharing programs.

And if your claim is denied, what regulatory authority provides oversight to help in your appeal?

If the fund goes under, and some have, where is the financial back up?

 

[HealthGuy]

Bill: Yes it seems like a lot of people getting into these share ministries think that they won't be subject to the Tax penalty with Obamacare...I think there will be a lot of surprised taxpayers...who is propogating the notion that you can "insure" yourself or family with this "ministry coverage" and escape your tax liabilities..?
When people start spouting this stuff off Im onto the next lead. Its like they are brainwashed...not to metion if they get really sick they plan probably wont help them.
But the other thing they always say is "oh yea, I have a friend that was on this ministry share and it paid all their claims blah blah blah"...Not even worth trying to convince them off the reservation.


When people have these two ideas in their heads, its already too late. NEXT

 

[somarco]

You would probably be better off with an STM than a sharing program. Still have the penalty, but you would have real insurance.

 

[benwrigh]

You would probably be better off with an STM than a sharing program. Still have the penalty, but you would have real insurance.

And network discount which helps a lot too. My wife had STM for a short period of time. The claims were denied (we knew they would be), but the UHC network discount saved us thousands.

 

[Yagents]

If claims were denied, u wouldnt have gotten the discounts