MediShare

Medishare is not health insurance. That needs to be said right up front.

It is a program whereby Christians pool their money to pay for one another’s medical bills. If you are unsure of the concept, read this first.

About This Program

This sharing program is part of Christian Care Ministry (not associated with Christian Healthcare Ministries).

The mission of Christian Care Ministry is to equip Christians to achieve biblical health - physical, financial, and spiritual - through innovative and proven approaches.

They help people achieve physical health via their sharing ministry.

This ministry is rooted in a five decade's old concept. The founding members began to share the burden of medical bills. Then they realized that the need for a more widespread sharing ministry was needed. So they established Christian Care Ministry. They then began to offer a medical sharing ministry to the whole body of Christ.

They based their ministry on Hebrews 13:16 "Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for God is pleased with such sacrifices."

In addition to the primary program, they also offer Christian disability sharing with their Manna ministry. They also work one-on-one with people to help them develop healthy lifestyles. They call this program, Restore.

How It Works

Members choose from six different plans. They work similar to deductibles. A person is responsible for the "deductible" amount before the ministry starts to pay. The higher your deductible, the less you will pay monthly. The six plans are as follows:

• $1,250
• $2,500
• $3,750
• $5,000
• $7,500
• $10,000

There are in-network medical providers (doctors). If a member goes to an in-network doctor they present their membership card. The medical office then charges a $35 co-pay. Then they bill the rest to Medishare. The ministry then tries to negotiate a lower cost and then pays the bill. But they don't pay anything until your deductible is fully paid in a given policy year.

If a member chooses to go to an out-of-network doctor, they will have to go through a process of getting reimbursed for the expense.

Currently, there is a non-refundable $50 application fee. Then when a person is accepted, there is another $125 administration fee plus the first month's share (premium).

They are different from Samaritan Ministries in that Medishare pays the doctors directly. Samaritan Ministries tells each member to send their monthly share to a person who has a medical expense. In this way, Samaritan basically reimburses a person, whereas Medishare pays the bill directly. You will have to evaluate each plan to determine which is best for you.

Conclusion

Visit the Medishare web site for more information .