What is a health share?

You’ve probably heard the term by now but maybe never really understood what it was. Maybe you had a friend mention they were using one or saw one online. But learning about health shares can potentially change your life and how you view your healthcare.

With the skyrocketing prices of healthcare here in the US, more and more people are turning to alternatives for their healthcare plans–and health shares keep getting more and more mentions.

So, what exactly is health sharing then? Essentially, these are medical cost sharing programs that serve as an alternative to health insurance. They are very similar in the sense that you make a monthly payment and, in turn, the membership shares in qualifying healthcare bills that you may incur while you are a member. Sounds pretty familiar, right?

How does it work?

First, you would need to decide which organization you want to sign up with. There are a lot of options out there these days but some of the bigger ones are Liberty HealthShare, Altrua, Zion HealthShare, Christian Healthcare Ministries, Samaritan Ministries, Medi-Share, and Solidarity Healthcare. We’ve got reviews on all of these so you can just click on the links to see what some members are saying about the programs–you can also reach out directly to Healthsharing Reviews and ask us any questions you may have.

After getting signed up, there is normally a waiting period ranging from 30–90 days depending on the organization and membership you choose. This is mostly to help prevent undue economic strain on medical cost sharing communities from new members with pre-existing medical conditions or impending medical needs looking to have their medical expenses shared in the short-term.

Each month, you will contribute an agreed upon amount–this is normally referred to as your “sharing amount.” Whenever you receive a medical bill, you can simply submit the bill to your ministry and if it qualifies, it will be submitted for “sharing.” This just means that the bill has been accepted. As a member, you will have an amount that you will have to pay out of pocket each year before the sharing actually kicks in. Some ministries refer to this as your Annual Unshared Amount.

Why should I join a health share?

There are many reasons why people join health sharing ministries, but the biggest one is pricing. These programs are significantly cheaper than health insurance in the United States. If you’re a relatively healthy person and don’t visit the doctor that often, then this is a great option to consider.

If you’re Christian, then you might especially enjoy joining a health care sharing ministry (HCSM) as they are rooted in their religious beliefs and are even considered religious organizations.

How much do health shares cost?

Like any other type of healthcare program, pricing varies greatly depending on many factors. Some of these factors include:

  • Age
  • Amount of bills you want to have shared
  • Number of household members

The best thing to do is to research a couple of different options and see which plans fit your budget.

Which is the best health share?

For the most part, members at each health share believe theirs is the best. You will, of course, find reviews online and even here on this website that might speak negatively about their ministry, but you should keep in mind that most of these ministries have a lot of members. There are always going to be a handful of unhappy customers when you have that many.