A Non-insurance Method to Health Care
When our third child arrived in 2018, our medical insurance company raised our premium to $2,300! It was an amount like mortgage and rent payments.
So why is Church United, a cultural engager, talking about insurance?
As pastors, we are acutely aware of being good stewards of God's money, not only personally but also corporately. That includes providing a way for church or ministry employees to receive the medical care they need at a price that doesn't impede an ability to serve people.
Additionally, insurance companies have the potential to undermine the doctor-patient relationship by mandating certain policies and formulas that focus more on the bottom line than the medical needs of their patients.
Finally, are we able to choose a healthcare provider that shares our values in terms of procedures and policy? And are our premiums, deductibles, and service fees being used for services that are contrary to or even minimize our faith?
I considered all of this in 2018 when I discovered a different way to pay our medical bills. It's called Christian-based health care sharing. I was blown away at the brilliance of the concept: save money and receive high-quality care, all in community with people who share the same ethics and values. Plus, monthly health costs would not be underwriting unbiblical medical procedures such as abortions or sex-change surgeries, etc.
But how does it work?
I chose health care sharing with Samaritan Ministries for my family. As a Samaritan member, when I have a medical need I inform the ER, hospital, surgical center, doctor's office, imaging center, etc. that I’m a cash-pay patient. Many medical institutions offer discounts for those paying cash, usually 20% to 30%, and sometimes as much as 50%. Samaritan members have a set monthly amount they pay, called a “Share.” When a member has a medical need, their medical bills are sent to Samaritan Ministries, and they direct fellow members to send their monthly share amount directly to that member to help them pay their shareable medical bills.
In my family's case, our monthly health share costs dropped 70% per month. Not only was it less per month, but we only pay $400 per medical issue or incident. For example, let's say you break your leg. You pay the first $400 and the remaining sharable amount is shared 100% by fellow members! Yes, that's correct, 100%!
It's brilliant and inexpensive, and more importantly, because you’re part of a community of Christians your family is being prayed for during a time it’s needed the most.
There are several health care ministries, and not all of them are created equally - as I quickly discovered - so be sure to carefully research what's best for your family or church. I chose Samaritan Ministries, because they offered a program that was right for our family, and was reasonably priced.
Switching to a sharing model is the best medical decision I've ever made, and it's saved Church United thousands of dollars monthly. We get the best care available, and we get to choose our medical health journey, not a mammoth corporation deciding what's best for our health. We can also rest in the knowledge that we are linked in with other biblically minded believers.
There is no better medicine than that.