'Don't fall for it': Healthcare sharing ministries look like insurance, but they're not

[essentialsaltes]

“Don’t fall for it. They’re not going to help you,” said an angry Bethany Stull, who believed that her coverage through a company called OneShare would cover her medications for treatment of a brain tumor. “Every single time I got a big invoice (from the doctor) and it said patient’s responsibility and it was 100% of the bill.”

That was when she learned that OneShare is not legally an insurance company. It’s listed as a “Health Care Sharing Ministry,” which has certain protections under federal law.

One of them is that, unlike a regulated insurance company, it does not have to pay claims for legitimate medical expenses.

Dea Dunfee of Selah received coverage through the trucking company he worked for and didn’t realize what it was until $40,000 in hospital bills from a stroke went unpaid.

He called a OneShare rep and was told, “If you read your policy further you will find out that we’re not an insurance company, that we are a Christian service.”

“We will pray for your health,” Dunfee said the rep told him.

What? Not even thoughts to go with those prayers?

When Congress approved the Affordable Care Act in 2010, Republicans and religious organizations pushed for a carve-out that allowed HCSMs to operate under broad exemptions from the Act.

Thanks, Obama.

See also:

Health Care Sharing Ministry Sharity Leaves 10K Families with Millions in Unpaid Bills

Around 10,000 families whose faith led them to “share in one another’s medical expense burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ” have instead ended up with unpaid bills totaling over $50 million after their health care sharing ministry shut down. Sharity Ministries, formerly known as Trinity...

www.christianforums.com

Christian Health Nonprofit Liberty Healthshare Saddled Thousands With Debt As It Built A Family Empire Including A Pot Farm, A Bank And An Airline

Luckily, or so Martin thought, she had placed her trust — and her money — in Liberty HealthShare. Liberty is what’s known as a health care sharing ministry, a nonprofit alternative to medical insurance rooted in Christian principles. Hundreds of thousands of people rely on such organizations for...

www.christianforums.com

 

[iluvatar5150]

Oh look, Christians and Republicans pushing a scam. Shocking.

 

[Trogdor the Burninator]

I'm torn on this one. On the one hand, these work the same way as insurance companies - using membership contributions to cover payout of healthcare expenses to members.

The problem is that you need a lot of people paying in every year to cover medical bills, especially insane American medical bills. My guess is that these funds don't have many members, hence why they have to restrict payouts and have very high gap fees. And a quick look at their website seems to show that they don't cover long term illnesses, but mostly emergencies.

The solution would be to have some kind of healthcare sharing fund that everyone paid into - that way you'd have more than enough money to cover everyone's medical bills. The organisation might even be big enough to negotiate discounts on hospital bills, doctors fees and medicines to reduce costs.

We could even give it a name. Maybe something with "care" and "medical" merged in the title.

 

[The IbanezerScrooge]

Just curious, but shouldn't we expect people "covered" under one of these sharing Christian services to have statistically fewer medical problems and, therefore, lower overall medical bills? I mean they have the Great Physician on their side, right?

 

[Hank77]

I'm torn on this one. On the one hand, these work the same way as insurance companies - using membership contributions to cover payout of healthcare expenses to members.

The problem is that you need a lot of people paying in every year to cover medical bills, especially insane American medical bills. My guess is that these funds don't have many members, hence why they have to restrict payouts and have very high gap fees. And a quick look at their website seems to show that they don't cover long term illnesses, but mostly emergencies.

A few years ago I looked into one of these healthcare-sharing programs but I can remember the name of it. It didn't work anything like an insurance company. It was through a Christian organization.

I'm mostly sure this is how it worked but it has been a few years ago and I didn't like the Maybe my bills will get paid.
As a member you pay a premium and a percentage of the money goes into your healthcare savings account. When you have an expense it's paid from your account. If you don't have enough funds in your account your name is on a list with your expenses that haven't been met. Other members in the group can choose to donate to your account to help cover your medical bills. In the end, it's rather like a temporary GoFundMe account for each member if they need it.

 

[Larniavc]

Is everything in the US a scam to fleece money from people? Or get people shot? Or hooked on drugs? Thank goodness they are all so free.

 

[Nithavela]

A few years ago I looked into one of these healthcare-sharing programs but I can remember the name of it. It didn't work anything like an insurance company. It was through a Christian organization.

I'm mostly sure this is how it worked but it has been a few years ago and I didn't like the Maybe my bills will get paid.
As a member you pay a premium and a percentage of the money goes into your healthcare savings account. When you have an expense it's paid from your account. If you don't have enough funds in your account your name is on a list with your expenses that haven't been met. Other members in the group can choose to donate to your account to help cover your medical bills. In the end, it's rather like a temporary GoFundMe account for each member if they need it.

How big was that percentage?

Did one get interest on that money? Was something deducted from it overtime? Or did it just "sit there"?

 

[iluvatar5150]

Is everything in the US a scam to fleece money from people?

If it’s billed as a “Christian” alternative to something else, yes.

 

[wing2000]

Is everything in the US a scam to fleece money from people?

...and when the government attempts to intervene, many complain about government interference in business....or if a "ministry" is involved, restricting "religious freedom."

 

[durangodawood]

A segment of Americans are being trained to resist anything "establishment" (like insurance companies, MSM, universities), and place their faith in "alternative" stuff (like so called Christian schemes, youtube personalities, etc.)

 

[Hank77]

How big was that percentage?

Did one get interest on that money? Was something deducted from it overtime? Or did it just "sit there"?

Sorry, I don't remember the details. It seems to me the percentage of the premium that went to administration was small but I can't swear to it.
My understanding was that your funds just stayed in your acc't until you used them.

 

[Nithavela]

Sorry, I don't remember the details. It seems to me the percentage of the premium that went to administration was small but I can't swear to it.
My understanding was that your funds just stayed in your acc't until you used them.

So you basically gave them an interest-free loan and paid for the privilege?

 

[Hank77]

So you basically gave them an interest-free loan and paid for the privilege?

Sorry, I don't understand.

 

[Nithavela]

Sorry, I don't understand.

When you give someone money and they just sit on that money (minus a fee) until you want it back, that's a loan, isn't it?

 

[FireDragon76]

Oh look, Christians and Republicans pushing a scam. Shocking.

It's grifters hiding behind religion. I would say there's a special place in Hell for them, but then I realize a great many Christians accept this kind of thing as "ethical", because their religion has taught them that grift in Jesus name is A-OK.

If it’s billed as a “Christian” alternative to something else, yes.

Sad, but true. As Augustine wrote, "How many sheep without, how many wolves within!"

 

[loveofourlord]

It's grifters hiding behind religion. I would say there's a special place in Hell for them, but then I realize a great many Christians accept this kind of thing as "ethical", because their religion has taught them that grift in Jesus name is A-OK.



Sad, but true. As Augustine wrote, "How many sheep without, how many wolves within!"

The problem isn't just them, but as it's been pointed out they often have no regulations, don't require to follow the actual regulations and trying to get some semblence of sanity is treated as persecution.

I remembre years ago stories of Christian schools and day cares, not requiring the bare minimum standards that a secular place has. And I don't mean, promote gay agenda, or atheism or what ever might be the issue people have but basic things like.

first aid training
teaching certificate
background check to make sure they arn't criminals
food saftey and other things that you would think you would want them to have, but instead, it's christian FREEDOM so any attempt to put sanity requirements and such on them is seen as an attack.

 

[Tinker Grey]

Different company, same thing: Medi-share. While Medi-share is has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, it is also unaccredited.

The customer complaints (not used in the rating calculation) are instructive. Getting them to pay or getting them to cancel your membership is similar to other scams: Christian Care Ministry, Inc. | Complaints | Better Business Bureau® Profile

This complaint from 2021 is instructive:

My daughter and I have been a member of Medi-Share for 1 1/2 years. She is 13 years old. Unbeknownst to me, she was going through a very difficult depression and has been cutting herself for the last 2 years. She told her therapist about the situation who immediately conferred with her psychiatrist and myself and her dad. We all agreed that my daughter needed immediate hospitalization. Without it, my daughter's severe depression could have resulted in suicide. Medi-Share has stated that they are not going to share my medical expenses because it says in their guidelines that mental health issues will not be shared. At this point, I have approx $40k in medical bills which medi-share will not share with other members in any way. I am speechless that they are not going to help my child. She is a child!! It is not un-Christian like to have severe depression and to need help. It's not an emotional handicap, it's a chemical imbalance in her brain. I am at a complete loss.​

 

[FireDragon76]

The problem isn't just them, but as it's been pointed out they often have no regulations, don't require to follow the actual regulations and trying to get some semblence of sanity is treated as persecution.

I remembre years ago stories of Christian schools and day cares, not requiring the bare minimum standards that a secular place has. And I don't mean, promote gay agenda, or atheism or what ever might be the issue people have but basic things like.

first aid training
teaching certificate
background check to make sure they arn't criminals
food saftey and other things that you would think you would want them to have, but instead, it's christian FREEDOM so any attempt to put sanity requirements and such on them is seen as an attack.

In any other context, people would see that as the kind of thing religious cults do.

Theologically, from a magisterial Protestant perspective (Lutheran or Reformed), it's also a confusion of the Two Kingdoms. Churches shouldn't be run by special, "religious" rules unless it directly impacts preaching or the administration of the Sacraments. Otherwise, they should follow natural law/common sense rules, the same as in any secular context.

 

[loveofourlord]

In any other context, people would see that as the kind of thing religious cults do.

Theologically, from a magisterial Protestant perspective (Lutheran or Reformed), it's also a confusion of the Two Kingdoms. Churches shouldn't be run by special, "religious" rules unless it directly impacts preaching or the administration of the Sacraments. Otherwise, they should follow natural law/common sense rules, the same as in any secular context.

Or they should WANT too, I disagree but get thinking there is a gay arenda and being against it, but this is literally protecting the children they claim to care about from death injury or other issues.

 

[Nithavela]

Or they should WANT too, I disagree but get thinking there is a gay arenda and being against it, but this is literally protecting the children they claim to care about from death injury or other issues.

Aren't they already born, though?