In this installment of our FAQ Series, we’re excited to dive into the frequently asked questions about Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM). As one of the most prominent health share companies, CHM has gained a lot of attention and curiosity from those looking for alternatives to health insurance. Whether you’ve come across these questions online or submitted them to us via email or social media, we’re here to provide the answers you’re looking for. Join us as we explore CHM’s membership requirements, their sharing process, network requirements, and policies on special conditions like maternity and mental health.

What are the membership requirements for CHM?

Christian Healthcare Ministries has specific membership requirements that potential members need to meet. Here’s an overview of what you need to qualify for membership:

  • Live a Christian lifestyle: Members are expected to lead a lifestyle consistent with CHM’s Statement of Beliefs. This includes attending church or worship meetings regularly, actively following the teachings of the New Testament, to which they ascribe the following requirements: abstaining from tobacco and nicotine use, illegal drug use, and premarital/extramarital sexual activity.
  • Have a US mailing address or active email address: To receive important documents and confidential information from CHM, you’ll need to have a US mailing address or valid email address. If you reside outside of the US, such as in the case of missionary or military service, you can designate a relative or friend to receive these items on your behalf.

These membership requirements are designed to ensure that CHM’s membership is committed to its faith-based principles and values. By meeting these requirements, you can become part of the CHM community and access their healthcare sharing services.

How does the sharing process work with CHM?

Christian Healthcare Ministries has been a pioneer in the health share industry, and its sharing process has likely established, or at least influenced, the standard reimbursement model used by many other health share companies today. Here’s how the sharing process works with CHM:

  1. Request itemized bills and negotiate self-pay discounts: After receiving medical treatment, you’ll need to request itemized bills from your healthcare provider. It’s also up to you to negotiate self-pay discounts, if possible, to reduce the overall cost of your medical expenses.
  2. Submit bills to CHM: Once you have the itemized bills, you can submit them to CHM for review. The CHM staff will carefully evaluate your bills to determine their eligibility for sharing based on certain criteria.*
  3. Reimbursement and payment: If the submitted bills meet CHM’s sharing eligibility guidelines, the company will send you a reimbursement check. You can use this check to pay the medical bills directly or reimburse yourself for expenses that required payment at the time of service.

*Christian Healthcare Ministries uses the following criteria to determine sharing eligibility:

  • The incident or illness meets CHM eligibility guidelines.
  • The incident or illness treatment meets your qualifying amount per incident (the minimum bill amount required for CHM to provide assistance).
  • The bills are itemized.
  • The itemized bills have been submitted within six months of the incident.
  • Other avenues for covering the bills have been used as primary payment means (such as insurance policies or other assistance programs).

Can I choose my own providers with CHM?

With Christian Healthcare Ministries, you’ll be empowered to find the quality healthcare service you want. Unlike some health insurance plans that restrict you to a specific provider network, CHM members have flexibility in selecting their healthcare providers or facilities.

CHM does have a list of CHM-friendly providers, with whom they have established a relationship and have pre-negotiated discount rates for certain services. If you’re not in an area with any of these providers, CHM does have a team dedicated to establishing and building relationships with providers, so it will always be to your benefit to mention your CHM membership in negotiating self-pay discount rates with your preferred provider.

How does CHM address pre-existing conditions?

Pre-existing conditions are defined by CHM as “any medical condition for which a member experiences signs, symptoms, testing, or treatment (routine and/or maintenance medications included) before joining CHM, regardless of whether the member has received a diagnosis.” They employ a one-year lookback period, meaning that if you have experienced one year without signs, symptoms, or treatment and it is documented in your medical records that you are not on a maintenance medication for that condition, then CHM no longer considers it a pre-existing condition. Their lookback period is five years for cancer specifically, and doctor must confirm that you are cancer free for CHM to not consider it a pre-existing condition.

To address pre-existing conditions, CHM offers two programs: the Gold Schedule and the Prayer Page. Here is a brief overview of what they offer:

  • Under the Gold Schedule, members receive assistance for maintained pre-existing conditions. In the first year of membership, bills related to pre-existing conditions are shareable up to $15,000. In the first two years, they are shareable up to a total of $25,000. After the third year of Gold membership, the condition is no longer considered pre-existing and is eligible for regular sharing.
  • Under the Prayer Page program, members voluntarily contribute funds beyond their monthly scheduled contributions as gifts to those in need of assistance related to pre-existing conditions.

Does Christian Healthcare Ministries share expenses related to maternity, mental health, or any other special conditions?

Maternity expenses are eligible for sharing under CHM’s Gold membership. Qualifying pregnancies are eligible for a maximum sharing amount of $125,000 per pregnancy. If you choose to enroll in the supplemental, optional Brother’s Keeper program, there is no per-pregnancy maximum.

For a pregnancy to qualify for sharing, you need to:

  • Be married at the time of conception.
  • Have been a Gold level member for at least 300 days prior to the expected due date.

According to their guidelines, counseling sessions, psychological and psychological treatments are listed as ineligible for sharing unless under very specific circumstances (such as emergency room bills incurred to physically stabilize a patient).

This article has covered what CHM expects of its members, how it shares with them, and the benefits it offers. We hope these answers have clarified any questions you had about CHM, and we invite you to stay tuned for more installments of our FAQ Series as we continue to explore other leading health share companies and address the questions you may have.