Christian Healthcare Ministries
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Christian Healthcare Ministries


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What is Unique about Christian Healthcare Ministries?

Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM), is the longest-serving and most popular health share ministry in the United States. Christian Healthcare Ministries has supported the needs of their members since 1981, with over $6 billion in medical bills shared as of 2021. Their mission statement is to glorify God, show Christian love, and experience God’s presence as Christians share each other’s medical bills.

Christian Healthcare Ministries is a Better Business Bureau Accredited Charity and has been featured on The Ramsey Show.CHM offers international sharing, maternity sharing for the top plan, and also an optional add-on feature, Brother’s Keeper, for increased sharing for illnesses. Additionally, CHM claims only 1% of members’ monthly contribution amounts are used for administrative costs.

How does CHM membership and pricing work?

You should know that to be a CHM member, you must be a member of a Christian denomination who worships as regularly as health permits. You must also  use moderation with alcohol and completely avoid illegal drugs, nicotine, tobacco, smoking devices, and sexual immorality. As the original Christian health share, these requirements are to be expected.

Eligible bills are shareable after a member has paid their Personal Responsibility amount for the year. Members submit their bills and a few forms to CHM, then wait for reimbursement.

CHM stresses that you will be handling your healthcare, though they do have departments to help you work with providers and are always eager to help with any questions you may have. Some ministries deal with providers directly so members don’t stress about the bills, but this doesn’t seem to be one of them. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing: enough medical providers resist working directly with health care sharing ministries that reimbursement may actually be more simple. Just be aware that CHM’s focus on reimbursement and responsible payment of medical bills is in the membership guidelines. Members must pay their providers within 30 days of receiving their reimbursement.

Programs

Pricing for membership with Christian Healthcare Ministries is determined by the program and number of people taking part in the same membership (membership units).

One individual member is one unit; a husband and wife, adult and their dependent children, or two or more children without a parent are two units; a husband, wife, and dependent children are three units.

There are three participation levels: Gold, Silver, and Bronze:

Gold

The Gold program is their most extensive, and costs $235 per unit, per month. The annual, per unit personal responsibility amount is $1,000, with an additional $1,500 personal responsibility per pregnancy. The sharing limit for each condition is $125,000. The Gold program removes the $125,000 per condition cap when you add Brother’s Keeper.

Silver

The Silver program has a personal responsibility amount of $2,500 (maternity not included), and costs $135 per unit, per month.The Silver program has a $125,000 sharing limit per condition. However, this limit can be extended up to $1 million over time through Brother’s Keeper.

Bronze

The Bronze program is the least expensive at just $90 per unit, per month, with an annual personal responsibility of $5,000 (maternity not included). The Bronze program has a $125,000 sharing limit per condition. However, this limit can be extended up to $1 million over time through Brother’s Keeper.

Brother’s Keeper

Christian Healthcare Ministries has a program for catastrophic medical expenses called Brother’s Keeper. This program removes the $125,000 sharing limit per illness. Members on the Gold program can receive unlimited sharing for eligible medical bills. While members on the Silver or Bronze program will see the sharing limit increase each year of membership, reaching up to $1 million per illness. To add Brother’s Keeper, you will pay and additional $22 per unit.

SeniorShare™

Christian Healthcare Ministries has designed a program specifically for members 65 and older. Any member on the Gold program may be automatically moved to this program upon turning 65, and other members who are eligible for Medicare may also participate in the program. The program costs $115 per unit, per month, and there is a $500 annual personal responsibility amount. Not many health shares have options for members over 65, so this is a nice bonus. Visit their website for information about the program.

How do I sign up?

You can sign up through their application page. After you join, CHM staff will send you a welcome packet and membership cards to the address you listed.

 

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Good reviews say what bill-sharing and finding providers is actually like. Reviews simply stating that a company had great customer service aren’t helpful, especially with no additional details. Reviews stating negatives like “this company is a scam” with no other information also don’t help our readers. Please share more! We want to know if your providers would work with the HealthShare, if it was a hassle to submit bills, if it was easy to get answers to your questions, and if eligible needs were paid quickly. 

If you have any questions about Christian Healthcare Ministries, contact us or hit us up on Facebook!

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Overall review score

2.7
134 reviews

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Reviews

J
Jodi Beiler
September 16, 2023 @ 17:51
1.0  

My Husband has paid in to CHM since 2016 never turning in any dr bills or expenses as he was able to comfortably cover them. When Covid hit we opted for outpatient versus hospital. According to nurse friends working at a local hospital he got the same treatment they were using. We were constantly checking in trying to make the right decisions. CHM came back saying they can’t cover because he’s not on the correct plan. Financially we were still ok but took a huge hit. He bumped up to the gold plan. last year when he had a cold that turned into pneumonia (side affect of Covid) we turned in the bills and they said we can’t cover because that dr uses alternative medicine. We should have switched then. If we had known that was the issue the first time we would have chosen a different care plan.
All over their site it’s how much they cover out of network. But really they’ve covered nothing. No labs. No dr visits because the drs put me on vitamins and probiotics it’s considered alternative. I was desperately trying to figure out what was wrong. Doing labs thinking it was my hormones.
This spring I had a cancer scare. I thought some of my issues may be endometriosis and saw a specialist in New York. He saw the tumor and ordered a genetic test which I expressed concern that it wouldn’t be covered and he said he’d never heard of insurance refusing this test. Well….(I actually didn’t fully understand the test was a cancer gene test which I don’t believe CHM covers, I haven’t heard from them yet) I’ve also not heard whether they will cover the new York visit since it’s medical tourism. Along with my emergency trip to Texas to a family Dr friend who happens to work at a clinic in Mexico. He got me in surgery 3 days later. They removed a tumor, fibroid and 2nd stage endo. I’m completely different since my surgery. Have not regretted the decision. My sister having passed away exactly a year ago from cancer , I wasn’t willing to sit around waiting on test results and the system. However now despite my husband having an excellent job we are afraid to seek any kind of care for fear of some by law we missed that will disqualify us. And had to loan money to cover my surgery. Over all it’s too complicated and a lot of work With claims just to have it all come back with all the exceptions. My friends on medicare have had more covered than I qualify for on the gold plan. Cant recommend. We feel we got taken advantaged of and screwed over.

My Husband has paid in to CHM since 2016 never turning in any dr bills or expenses as he was able to comfortably cover them. When Covid hit we opted for outpatient versus hospital. According to nurse friends working at a local hospital he got the sam..
More
Christian Healthcare Ministries
September 19, 2023 @ 07:41

Dear Jodi,

Thank you for contacting us.

In reviewing your records at length, a substantial number of the bills you reference have not yet been submitted to CHM. As a result, we can’t comment on them, which we’re sure you understand.

With respect to the bills for alternative treatment, CHM’s Guidelines are clear: bills for alternative treatment can’t be shared. This is why we encourage members to review the Guidelines, particularly with respect to issues of personal interest.

CHM staff members are available and anxious to answer member questions about medical bills, eligibility, and the Guidelines. Please contact us directly at 800-791-6225 or CHMinistries.org/contact, and we’ll do everything possible – within the Guidelines – to help you.

We wish you the best.
CHM Staff

M
Missy V.
September 10, 2023 @ 16:20
5.0  

Excellent alternative to insurance.
Responsive and reliable to share requests as you follow their guidelines.

Christian Healthcare Ministries
September 14, 2023 @ 11:15

Hello Missy, 

We appreciate you taking the time to become familiar with our Guidelines and are happy to hear that CHM is an excellent health cost sharing solution for you. 

Thank you for sharing your experience and thank you for being a CHM member! 

Blessings, 
CHM Staff 

S
Susie Chatwin
August 31, 2023 @ 15:04
5.0  

CHM has taken care of my family since 2015. My son’s wife had triplets that spent over a month in NICU with hospital bills over $1 million dollars. CHM took care of everything, so the parents could take care of those babies without any bill worries. THANK YOU CHM, you are God sent! Also, my husband had a mini stroke and CHM took care of his $15,000 bill including ambulance minus our $1000 deductible. We are so grateful for CHM.

CHM has taken care of my family since 2015. My son’s wife had triplets that spent over a month in NICU with hospital bills over $1 million dollars. CHM took care of everything, so the parents could take care of those babies without any bill wor..
More
Christian Healthcare Ministries
September 5, 2023 @ 08:53

Dear Susie,

Thank you for your kind words and for being a part of the CHM family for 8 years. We are so happy to serve you and your family members in their time of need.

We love to hear how the works of our ministry and the power of God are making a difference in the lives of brothers and sisters in Christ. Thank you for allowing us to serve you and your family!

Blessings,
CHM Staff

L
Laura Hinton
August 26, 2023 @ 18:15
3.0  

Christian Healthcare ministries used to be such a great blessing until they doubled deductibles, raised prices, and decreased benefits in 2023. At this time we’re in debt due to CHM’s new policies as of 2023, and have been sent to a collection agency for the first time ever. Thats humiliating. I’ve had an excellent credit score my ENTIRE LIFE until now! Their refusal to reimburse us has been discouraging and I feel in a no win situation. We owe thousands to providers and our monthly payments are more than we can afford. So I’m paying 550 a month for chm and 800 a month paying off what they don’t. I’m so beaten down over this. It’s depressing.

Christian Healthcare ministries used to be such a great blessing until they doubled deductibles, raised prices, and decreased benefits in 2023. At this time we’re in debt due to CHM’s new policies as of 2023, and have been sent to a col..
More
Christian Healthcare Ministries
September 19, 2023 @ 08:11

Dear Laura,

CHM has been faithful to reimburse thousands of dollars of your medical bills: it was our responsibility and joy to do so.

What is ineligible under the Guidelines cannot be shared. That’s our responsibility as well.

We hope you will understand that program changes—explained to members months in advance—were necessary for the well being of everyone who depends on CHM.

We invite, encourage, and ask you to please contact us directly at info@chministries.org or 800-791-6225 to enable us to talk about these issues person-to-person.

Thank you very much. We wish you the best.
CHM Staff

B
Bobbie
August 15, 2023 @ 14:02
5.0  

While I dont love the pricing increase or the raised responsibility costs (deductible) I know this world we live in is crazy right now. I have had 3 claims and one of which saved my life. After having some “female” issues when I shouldn’t have any longer, I went to the doctor. This lead to biopsies, ultrasounds and eventually surgery. If I didnt have the then $500 in responsibility I may have stopped when the first test came back. But I didnt since I figured it was all under the one fee. So 45k later and getting the hospital to give a 50% break on the surgery(yes I filled out a request for assistance). I paid nothing!! (The discounts covered by responsibility) Sure there was some work involved..but how many with conventional insurance would’ve had 5 to 8k in bills out of pocket after all of this!! I will take a little leg work over that kind of monies anyday! To us they have been a true blessing

While I dont love the pricing increase or the raised responsibility costs (deductible) I know this world we live in is crazy right now. I have had 3 claims and one of which saved my life. After having some “female” issues when I shouldn’t have ..
More
Christian Healthcare Ministries
August 16, 2023 @ 14:47

Dear Bobbie,

Thank you for your kind words. We are thankful to be a part of caring for your medical needs and consider it a privilege to assist members as they share one another’s medical expenses. What we do is not about ourselves, but it’s about what God is doing through His people—such as yourself.

We are truly blessed by your thankfulness and your desire to encourage.

Thank you again and may God bless you and keep you in good health.

Sincerely,
CHM Staff

A
Andrew Arrendell
July 11, 2023 @ 09:36
1.0  

I have been a member for 3 years. Have had zero health sharing happen in that time. Wife is pregnant. Called to get help as their guidelines are very confusing and require a ton of leg work on the part of the consumer. Waited on the phone for 30 minutes. Decided to switch to regular insurance as this is not going to work for me if I have to wait 30 minutes to get in touch with somebody to answer a simple question. Just so happens my payment was scheduled to come out the next day. CHM refused to refund this payment regardless of my 30 minutes waisted and 3 years of payments to them. Now I’m out $375. Apparently I was supposed to know 30 days ago (30-day notice) that I was going to have poor customer service and should have canceled then if I didn’t want to have another payment. I’m absolutely disgusted and I hope this review keeps you from having the terrible experience I had!!!

I have been a member for 3 years. Have had zero health sharing happen in that time. Wife is pregnant. Called to get help as their guidelines are very confusing and require a ton of leg work on the part of the consumer. Waited on the phone for 30 minu..
More
Christian Healthcare Ministries
July 13, 2023 @ 07:03

Dear Andrew,

We thank you for three years as a CHM member. During that time, you helped Christians throughout the country as they were standing by to help you. With respect to calls, it’s true that call volume is sometimes quite high from people seeking information about CHM; it’s for this reason we have multiple ways to contact us through their Member Portal, via e-mail at info@chministries.org, or by phone.

You are correct that according to CHM’s Guidelines, there is a 30-day cancellation period. That provision is in the Guidelines – as are all Guidelines provisions – to ensure fairness and consistency for, and to, all members.

Again, we thank you for your CHM membership. If you would like to talk about this further, please call or e-mail and we will respond as quickly as possible.

Thank you, and we wish you the best.

Sincerely,
CHM Staff

K
Kalli
July 7, 2023 @ 10:31
2.0  

I used it for my pregnancy because I thought I would save money, but it is getting pricier and pricier, and they make you have it 300 days before pregnancy and you have to keep paying until they pay you back. This takes forever because the hospital bills don’t come for a while, then you have to submit them, then it’s 90 days on top of that. On top of that, it is pretty complicated to use and keep track of everything. Honestly I would have saved so many hours of headache and money if I would have stuck to insurance.

I used it for my pregnancy because I thought I would save money, but it is getting pricier and pricier, and they make you have it 300 days before pregnancy and you have to keep paying until they pay you back. This takes forever because the hospital b..
More
Christian Healthcare Ministries
July 11, 2023 @ 09:26

Dear Kalli,

Thank you for the opportunity to respond.

It’s important to note that CHM processes medical bills in accordance with the ministry’s Guidelines for accuracy, accountability, and protection of all members. As the Guidelines explain, a member must be active at the Gold level 300 days prior to their estimated due date for maternity sharing.

We encourage members to call 1-800-791-6225 early in their pregnancy to speak with our Maternity Support Team. They can help address any questions or concerns early in the process, explain how sharing works, connect members to a quality provider, and more.

We wish you all the best.

Sincerely,
CHM Staff

J
John McMillian
June 27, 2023 @ 11:35
2.0  

Christian Healthcare Ministries isn’t paying my cancer doctor is agree . I’m very disappointed with the service they are very fast on billing you but extremely slow on paying.

Christian Healthcare Ministries
July 6, 2023 @ 12:13

Dear John,

We appreciate the opportunity to respond to your concerns.

As we know since our subsequent conversation is that the ministry was awaiting receipt of itemized bills. An itemized bill is necessary for the bill to be shared. We now have the itemized bills and are able to continue processing your medical bills. We encourage you to contact your provider to make them aware of this.

CHM shares 100% of eligible medical bills according to the Guidelines once all required forms and itemized bills are received.

If you have additional questions, please contact our Member Services department, 1-800-791-6225 or chministries.org/contact-us.

Sincerely,

CHM Staff

D
Daryl Hunt
June 7, 2023 @ 18:20
1.0  

I was a member of Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM) for 5 years…until I filed a claim.

I paid nearly $20,000 to Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM)…until I filed a claim.

I thought Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM) was a great ministry…until I filed a claim.

…until I filed a small claim for my wife. The payment for this claim would be like getting back 2 months of the 60 months of payments that I paid CHM.

Our claim was NOT a pre-existing condition. It was a medical necessity and a covered procedure. Should be a simple process. Sadly, the Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM) Customer Service was so terrible that we cancelled our membership with them (we had their best membership option at their highest contribution level for 5 years).

My wife and I were disappointed by the words “Christian”, “Care”, and “Ministries” in their name but not in their service. We thank God we found out how terrible this organization is before we had a major healthcare bill.

I was a member of Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM) for 5 years…until I filed a claim. I paid nearly $20,000 to Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM)…until I filed a claim. I thought Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM) was a great ..
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
June 15, 2023 @ 11:33

Dear Daryl,

We appreciate the opportunity to respond to your concerns, to thank you for having been a CHM member, and to again share with you that the ministry would have readily shared your medical bills for payment according to our Guidelines if only two required forms and itemized bills had been provided to us.

For accuracy, accountability, and protection of all members, we follow our ministry’s Guidelines. Under the Guidelines, a HIPAA form, a Checklist of Understanding (which members submit acknowledging they understand how the ministry works) and itemized bills must be on file before medical bills can be shared. As was explained to you, had we received these important documents, your bills would have been shared according to the Guidelines. We regret that you decided to end your membership.

If you have questions that we can clarify or address about our process or your medical bills, please contact us at (//chministries.org/contact-us/).

We wish you the best, and again, we thank you for having been a CHM member.

Sincerely,
CHM Staff

G
Gareth Johnson
June 5, 2023 @ 12:50
3.0  

Thankfully Christian Healthcare Ministries took a second look into my grandson’s claim and called my son’s family and apologized and are making things right for them.
Thank you Christen Healthcare Ministries

G
Gareth
June 4, 2023 @ 19:07
1.0  

The way Christian Health Care Ministries treated my son and his family was terrible. As a minister of the Gospel, In my opinion the local church and even the world system of today has much more empathy and compassion than this group of (supposedly Christian) hypocrites.

The way Christian Health Care Ministries treated my son and his family was terrible. As a minister of the Gospel, In my opinion the local church and even the world system of today has much more empathy and compassion than this group of (supposedly Ch..
More
Christian Healthcare Ministries
June 5, 2023 @ 15:37

Dear Gareth,

We’re sad to hear of your perspective on the ministry but appreciate the opportunity to respond.

We are unable to fully address the review as we are missing important details, such as your son’s name, membership identification, or other means of verification.

For reasons legal and ethical we cannot discuss the specifics of anyone’s medical bills in a public forum. We encourage your son to send us an email or private message so that we can further discuss the situation, including any medical bills and the CHM Guidelines (chministries.org/guidelines). Please know that CHM shares 100% of eligible bills according to the Guidelines, which members receive before and after joining.

Sincerely,
CHM Staff

S
Scott
May 8, 2023 @ 11:37
1.0  

I am so very disappointed in how I find out that CHM doubled the deductible. I do not feel this communication was very Christian and its seems they are trying to trick people into continuing to pay membership monthly but not adequately informing them about the significant decrease in coverage. I have been paying monthly bills are $771 for my family all year not counting the $1,500 monthly out of pocket for medical they don’t cover and now in month 5 I find out that expenses from Jan will not be covered because you increased your out of pocket deductible from $500 to $1,000. In my opinion this was not made very public and was not communicated clearly it was berried were we would likely not fine it. This was done in the dark not in the light and I rebuke them for this action. If cost rise and changes need to be made we all share together and that’s fine. My monthly share increased $100 and that’s fine A deductible increase would also have been fine, if they clearly communicate that. I feel they slipped in this change and did not give this cutting coverage in half the due attention it deserved. This is an un Christian like action in my opinion and they took. I do not at all feel this was a decision prayed on, but rather a business decision to down play the change and keep revenue coming in and uninterrupted while near secretly reducing their promised coverage to their ministry members. Congratulations CMH on your transition from ministry to business.

I am so very disappointed in how I find out that CHM doubled the deductible. I do not feel this communication was very Christian and its seems they are trying to trick people into continuing to pay membership monthly but not adequately informing the..
More
Christian Healthcare Ministries
May 31, 2023 @ 07:39

Hello Scott,

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to respond.

Prior to the CHM program changes we repeatedly, over a period of months before the changes took effect, shared information about the changes in a video, articles in Heartfelt Magazine, on social media, and on our website. Each location referenced changes happening to the monthly gift amount, Personal Responsibility, and Bring-a-Friend program.

Our purpose was twofold: one, to inform members in every possible way of the program changes; two, to give members with questions or concerns the opportunity to get answers and seek guidance. The changes to our program were necessary for all the reasons we explained in our e-mails, website, articles, video, and other communications. We are confident the communications were consistent, thorough, and in the interest of our members.

Please know that the ministry doesn’t have deductibles, pay claims, have customers, or conduct any other insurance-related aspects to our operations. Those distinctions are important, as CHM isn’t insurance, but a voluntary cost sharing ministry.

If you have additional questions or would like to review the details of your membership, please feel free to send us a private message or call us at 1-800-791-6225. We would be more than happy to speak with you.

We wish you the best.

Blessings,
CHM Staff

E
Ellen Vermilya
April 12, 2023 @ 17:16
2.0  

Disappointed.. especially from a Christian organization. We have been members of Health Sharing ( 1st Medishare now CHM) for 7 years. While CHM raised their
” personal responsibility”
( i.e. deductible) amt from 500 to $1,000 they said it would be per year ( not per incident) turns out not to be the case. In 7 years we have only had 3 submissions. The first was declined due to not having proper referrals, this year i had an incident exceed $1000 i am awaiting approval and reimbursement for the amt i pd over the $1000. Meanwhile had an accident requiring xrays.. for roughly $700. It was declined, i was told every incident under $1000 was my responsibility. That is misleading. Esp after they advertised ” $1000 per year NOT per incident”
Whole everyone has been extremely nice,
there always seems to be a catch.. to date, we have received no benefits for the amounts we have paid, we hang on with the hope of help in extreme medical care

Disappointed.. especially from a Christian organization. We have been members of Health Sharing ( 1st Medishare now CHM) for 7 years. While CHM raised their ” personal responsibility” ( i.e. deductible) amt from 500 to $1,000 they said i..
More
Christian Healthcare Ministries
April 21, 2023 @ 09:51

Hello Ellen,

Thank you for sharing your experiences. We appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns.

To clarify, what you are discussing is the difference between Personal Responsibility and qualifying amount per incident.

Qualifying amount per incident (QA) is the amount each incident must total (prior to any discounts) before it is eligible for sharing. This amount does not change and applies to each incident individually. Gold level members have a qualifying amount per incident of $1,000 per unit. The bill you submitted for $700 does not total $1,000, and therefore is not eligible for sharing.

In contrast, Personal Responsibility (PR) is the out-of-pocket amount that each membership unit is responsible for each year. You are correct, Gold level members do only have one Personal Responsibility amount of $1,000 per unit, per year, not per incident. It’s possible for this single amount to apply across multiple incidents.

You can learn more about the difference between Personal Responsibility and qualifying amount per incident by visiting the CHM Guidelines located here: chministries.org/resources/chm-guidelines/. These Guidelines are available to current and prospective members so that they know what is and isn’t eligible for sharing and can understand how CHM works.

If you have additional questions or would like to review the details of your membership, please feel free to send us a private message or call us at 1-800-791-6225. We would be more than happy to speak with you.

Blessings,
CHM Staff

D
Dave Hastings
February 14, 2023 @ 20:19
5.0  

CHM has been wonderful for us! I had to have 3 rotator cuff surgeries and my total out of pocket expense was $900. I was very pleased with the process.

Christian Healthcare Ministries
February 16, 2023 @ 14:20

Hello Dave,

Thank you very much for your kind words and for being a part of the CHM family. We love to hear that members are being blessed by this ministry.

Thank you for granting us the honor of serving you!

Blessings,
CHM Staff

C
Cooke
February 11, 2023 @ 23:10
3.0  

Is CHM still cheaper than Obama Care? idk, but its like 200% more expensive than it was a number of years ago and continues to go up in price while providing less coverage. I have been a Gold most of the past 7 years and I use to tell everyone how great a value it was. Now I am just disgusted to see the outrages charges each month. I buy it when insurance is not offered to me as a benefit in my contract work.
I am honestly not sure if CHM is truly a Christian origination as is the same with Christian radio is or any other services that caters to Christians when big money is in play. Its tough to really know. idk, they may be the best people in the world, just out to help fellow Christians while earning modest pay and having a lean budget. Or they may be doing something else. Only God truly knows.
as sometimes the internals and the auditors dont know. I am not accusing them of anything, but just simply expressing that idk.
I refuse to buy Obama Care, but really need to search alternatives.
Everyone should know that if you have a claim “sharing request” and you desire to cancel your membership before it is paid out, CHM will not pay it out unless you continue to pay during what can be up to 3 months or more for them to process your claim. So as a Gold member, before they spiked the deductible, if you had a $500 claim which was reimbursable, you might lose money while paying $250 for 3 months before you they pay your claim.
In regards to their policy of preexisting conditions, it is ambiguous to me in that a person may have a known condition for many years that does not require immediate medical attention, but could worsen in the future, requiring medical treatment. Is that covered? idk. Many people are born with known diseases that may or may not transpire into a problem for many years or ever, but then again it might. To not cover this condition for someone, but to cover the same for someone who was of the same condition but unaware and then diagnosed after coverage, is very unfair IMO. Essentially penalizing people who are actively aware of their health as opposed to those who may not be. Again, their policy remains unclear to me.
After 8 years of membership, I have finally spoke my peace and am now again beginning my new search for affordable coverage.
The phone staff is nice but the on hold hymnal music can be unbearable as to the point it seems intentional.

Is CHM still cheaper than Obama Care? idk, but its like 200% more expensive than it was a number of years ago and continues to go up in price while providing less coverage. I have been a Gold most of the past 7 years and I use to tell everyone how g..
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
February 16, 2023 @ 14:15

Hello Cooke,

Thank you for sharing your experiences with CHM. We appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns.

First, we evaluate the cost of sharing medical bills regularly to make sure that CHM is taking care of our members in a timely manner. You can rest assured that we steward monthly gifts effectively as is proven by annual, third-party audits that confirm that over 90 percent of every dollar goes to medical bill sharing.

Additionally, CHM is the first health cost sharing ministry in the nation to earn independent, third-party accreditation through Demotech. You can read more about that accreditation here: https://chministries.org/blog/christian-healthcare-ministries-first-ministry-to-earn-accreditation/. You can also read about our ministry standards here: https://chministries.org/ministry/

To address your question about pre-existing conditions, there are two options available to members to help with these expenses: The Gold Schedule and the Prayer Page. You can read more about each of these programs, as well as how pre-existing conditions are defined here: https://chministries.org/resources/chm-guidelines/pre-existing-conditions/.

If you have additional questions or would like to review the details of your membership, please feel free to send us a private message or call us at 1-800-791-6225. We would be more than happy to speak with you.

Blessings,
CHM Staff

D
David
January 15, 2023 @ 20:17
4.0  

I would have given CHM a 5 star review before the news of the 2023 massive monthly price increases, doubling the minimum incident/illness level to $1,000 for Gold (previously $500), and adding a new $1,000 yearly deductible (personal responsibility amount in their terms). I have to lower it to 4 stars now. If the price or deductible goes up again we’ll probably have to cancel our family of 3 because now we pay $771 a month and also have to pay $1,000 a year ($83.33/month) on top! Almost $1,000 a month!

I will say that CHM is great for those who are organized, financially savvy, and good communicators. If you get anxiety calling a doctor or need someone to help file your taxes if you just have a basic w-2 – this is probably not for you. The filing process for bills has improved over the years but is still quite tedious. The staff are quite friendly and easy to reach though if you have questions.

They have paid out on everything promised for us so far though. I had a couple thousand dollars of male health issues my 1st year of having CHM and after being nervous that it wasn’t actually going to work – they paid out about 3 months after submitting everything. Then my wife and I’s first child prenatal/delivery, etc. was also paid out on time and in full – over $14,000 after discounts.

If you’re broke and/or don’t have a credit card, CHM is also not for you b/c you generally have to prepay items when you negotiate discounts and then wait 2-5 months for reimbursement. If you have some cash to float it, this can help you earn credit card points/miles though! This is an interesting perk that CHM should promote. Hire me for marketing 😉 But if you don’t have a credit card or extra money in the bank, this could be another burden for families just trying to cover emergencies.

Overall, assuming you don’t qualify for big discounts with government healthcare, this can be a good alternative. It’s just more tedious and time-consuming. Has served our family well for 7 years and I’ve recommended to many. I am much more hesitant to recommend to others now w/the new pricing & deductible structure for 2023 though :-/

I would have given CHM a 5 star review before the news of the 2023 massive monthly price increases, doubling the minimum incident/illness level to $1,000 for Gold (previously $500), and adding a new $1,000 yearly deductible (personal responsibility a..
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
January 17, 2023 @ 11:37

Hi David,

Thank you for sharing your experiences with CHM. We love to hear that members are being blessed by this ministry. It’s our honor to serve you!

To address your concern, we’ve increased the gift amount because of the continually rising costs of medical bills. Even in today’s high inflationary times, analysis shows that the full brunt of medical cost inflation has yet to hit us. The increase enables us to continue sharing 100% of eligible medical bills in under 90 days.

We evaluate the cost of sharing medical bills regularly to make sure that CHM is taking care of our members in a timely manner. You can rest assured that we steward monthly gifts effectively as is proven by annual, third-party audits that confirm that over 90 percent of every dollar goes to medical bill sharing. Additionally, CHM is the first health cost sharing ministry in the nation to earn independent, third-party accreditation through Demotech. You can read more about that accreditation here: https://chministries.org/blog/christian-healthcare-ministries-first-ministry-to-earn-accreditation/

Thank you for being a member of the CHM family, David, and for granting us the honor of serving you.

Blessings,
CHM Staff

L
Lydia Villarreal
December 15, 2022 @ 19:47
5.0  

I have used CHM for both my pregnancies and have had no issues. They reimbursed us within about 2 months of me sending the payment information and forms.

Christian Healthcare Ministries
January 3, 2023 @ 11:40

Hello Lydia,

Thank you very much for your kind words! We love to hear that members are being blessed by this ministry.

We appreciate you being a member of the CHM family, Elizabeth, and for granting us the honor of serving you!

Blessings,
CHM Staff

B
Benjamin
December 14, 2022 @ 10:35
1.0  

BUYER BEWARE! BUYER BEWARE!
I have been a member with CHM for 3 years now and each and every year they have raised their rates. CHM prides themselves on being better than insurance companies but this is exactly what insurance companies do.
Additionally, they preach that they are a Christian organization and follow the Lord’s Word in respect to running their organization. The Bible tells us that we are to be good stewards of our money. The Bible also teaches us that stealing and cheating is a sin. Listen, as a business if you are required to raise your members’ rates year over year, you are either not being a good steward of their money or you are robbing them blind. Which is it CHM?
I have been a member at my gym for 8 years and they have never raised their rates once. I have been with Netflix for over 10 years and they have raised my rates only twice in all that time. My checking account has had the same fee for 20 years. I have half a dozen other examples of businesses that I pay member dues to that do not raise my rates as often or by the large amounts that CHM does (last year was over 10%)!!!!
At least with insurance I get a tax break. I think its time to look back into insurance.

BUYER BEWARE! BUYER BEWARE! I have been a member with CHM for 3 years now and each and every year they have raised their rates. CHM prides themselves on being better than insurance companies but this is exactly what insurance companies do. Addition..
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
January 3, 2023 @ 09:12

Hello Benjamin,

We’re sad to hear of your perspective on the ministry but appreciate having the opportunity to address your concerns.

We’ve increased the gift amount because of the continually rising costs of medical bills. Even in today’s high inflationary times, analysis shows that the full brunt of medical cost inflation has yet to hit us. The increase enables us to continue sharing 100% of eligible medical bills in under 90 days.

We evaluate the cost of sharing medical bills regularly to make sure that CHM is taking care of our members in a timely manner. You can rest assured that we steward monthly gifts effectively as is proven by annual, third-party audits that confirm that over 90 percent of every dollar goes to medical bill sharing. Additionally, CHM is the first health cost sharing ministry in the nation to earn independent, third-party accreditation through Demotech. You can read more about that accreditation here: https://chministries.org/blog/christian-healthcare-ministries-first-ministry-to-earn-accreditation/

Blessings,
CHM Staff

I
Inga
December 6, 2022 @ 15:55
1.0  

I’ve been paying into CHM for years now and never had a claim. My daughter in law had a baby and is still waiting for payment. They were members for a while before the claim. They didn’t receive help along the way. They were told it would take at least 8 months or reimbursement after the baby’s birth. Totally sad. I was previously with Samaritans ministries and always received reimbursement immediately. We paid the people directly and the needs were met. I’m starting to wonder if there is mishandling of funds. Please choose Samaritan’s over this. This isn’t the only one I’ve heard waiting or receiving very little of their claim. There is no reason for paying months before the baby’s birth and waiting eight months after.☹️ I am leaving for this reason.

I’ve been paying into CHM for years now and never had a claim. My daughter in law had a baby and is still waiting for payment. They were members for a while before the claim. They didn’t receive help along the way. They were told it would tak..
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
January 3, 2023 @ 11:31

Hello,

We appreciate the opportunity to reply; however, we are unable to fully respond to this review as we are missing important details regarding the following:

* We don’t know if this person is actually a member of our ministry or some other organization, as we have no last name, member identification, or other way to verify this person’s membership.

* What helps lead to the belief that this may not be a CHM member is the sharing time mentioned. There are some situations in which sharing time is lengthened while we wait for providers, negotiate discounts, or verify information. However, most eligible bills are shared within 70-85 days once we receive all the necessary forms and itemized bills.

We ask Inga and her daughter in law to reach out to us through the contact information available on our website (chministries.org/contact-us/) so that we can verify their memberships and, if so, address any issue according to our ministry’s Guidelines.

Blessings,
CHM Staff

K
Kaden
December 4, 2022 @ 20:43
1.0  

Terrible experience!! This company left me in a terrible place and didn’t treat the situation in a professional manner. Nothing but false hope. Do not recommend!!!!! Please don’t join them!

Christian Healthcare Ministries
December 5, 2022 @ 14:03

Hello Kaden,

We appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns.

For reasons legal and ethical we cannot discuss the specifics of your medical bills in a public forum. We encourage you to send us a private message or email if you would like to further discuss your medical bills and our Guidelines.

Our Guidelines enable members and prospective members to be confident the ministry is conducting medical bill sharing consistently and fairly. The Guidelines state that CHM will share for pre-existing conditions that are considered maintained, meaning:

a. at least 90 days have passed without the patient undergoing testing or treatment,
b. their medical provider states that no further testing or treatment is needed, -and
c. medical records show that the patient is cured or on a maintenance treatment regimen.

Sharing medical bills according to the Guidelines provides fairness and consistency in the ministry’s processes. Additionally, it guarantees medical bill sharing decisions are not made arbitrarily. To not follow our Guidelines would be breaking faith with our members, and that we cannot do. We hope you understand.

Blessings,
CHM Staff

E
Elizabeth
October 15, 2022 @ 09:31
4.0  

While this is an old thread, I feel compelled to comment. I have been a member for four years and thankfully, I’ve been healthy and haven’t needed to file for reimbursement. Reading these reviews, if you are considering CHM, would make you think twice about them.

But in most (maybe all) instances, the many of the reviewers have not read the CHM guidelines. They CLEARLY state that certain behaviors, conditions, and pre-existing conditions (specific rules) are not covered AND that this is not insurance, but a group to share medical costs. And frequently, these exclusions are mentioned in more than one place in the guidelines.

In addition, they very clearly spell out what is covered at each tier of membership. The guidelines booklet is over 50 pages long and well written. Given the importance of medical care and exorbitant cost of medical care, I would think anyone considering it would read the guidelines very carefully.

If CHM were to cover all costs as an insurance company might, the monthly sharing amount would need to be many times higher. Members have specific commitments with adherences to certain behaviors, and in exchange, have a significantly more affordable option to insurance coverage.

Lastly, every time I have called with a question, I quickly get a human on the other end who is always polite and pleasant to efficiently answer any and all questions.

Please don’t let these negative reviews deter you from considering this as an option. I would suggest reading the guidelines to see if this membership is a fit for you and your family.

While this is an old thread, I feel compelled to comment. I have been a member for four years and thankfully, I’ve been healthy and haven’t needed to file for reimbursement. Reading these reviews, if you are considering CHM, would make you thin..
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
November 3, 2022 @ 11:35

Hello Elizabeth,

Thank you very much for your kind words! We love to hear that members are being blessed by this ministry.

You’re correct, CHM is a voluntary cost sharing ministry, not health insurance. We are a community of Christian members serving each other, based on the example in the New Testament Book of Acts. In our over 40 years of service to members, we have satisfied more than $8 billion in medical bills. 100 percent of eligible medical bills (as defined by our Guidelines which we make public to members before and after they join: https://chministries.org/resources/chm-guidelines/) are shared, a fact proved by independent audits.

Thank you for being a member of the CHM family, Elizabeth, and for granting us the honor of serving you!

Blessings,

The CHM staff

D
Don
October 6, 2022 @ 21:52
4.0  

Been with CHM since 2008 and have only needed to file two claims for relatively minor health issues.

They are always very helpful on the phone and via email, all questions answered promptly, and both of my claims were shared and covered 100% in a few days.

The cost was $135 back in 2008, now it’s up due to inflation, of course, but still far below what I would pay for a typical health insurance product.

My only concern is that if they’re covering medical bills for members who are severely injured due to CV-19 injections, despite much evidence proving the potential for harmful health consequences of such experimental technologies, then members like myself who wisely shunned the injections might well be bearing the brunt of rapidly escalating numbers of member claims and expenses, potentially driving the cost of CHM coverage substantially higher, perhaps for years to come.

It would seem wise to cover CV-19 injection injury bills under Brother’s Keeper or under other voluntary programs , rather than hit the non-injected members with those claims via ever-increasing monthly membership costs.

That said, I still believe CHM to be an excellent combination of ministry and health cost bill sharing. I will also be adding my wife as a CHM member in 2023.

Been with CHM since 2008 and have only needed to file two claims for relatively minor health issues. They are always very helpful on the phone and via email, all questions answered promptly, and both of my claims were shared and covered 100% in a few..
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
October 7, 2022 @ 16:41

Hi Don,

Thank you for sharing your experiences with CHM. It’s our honor to serve you!

To address your concern, the CHM Guidelines (chministries.org/guidelines) state that immunizations—including complications arising from their administration—are ineligible for sharing. We adhere to the Guidelines out of fairness to all members. When medical bills are eligible under the Guidelines and the incident does not appear to be a side effect of any ineligible expense according to medical records and bills, CHM members around the world can rest easy knowing their fellow Christians will help carry these medical costs.

Thank you for being a member of the CHM family, Don, and for granting us the honor of serving you.

Blessings,

The CHM staff

A
Amy Burton
September 15, 2022 @ 19:30
1.0  

Their monthly prices are nearly doubling in January, after increasing last year as well. If you do not get sick often, look elsewhere because they will keep raising prices for already financially stressed families.

Christian Healthcare Ministries
September 19, 2022 @ 12:30

Hello Amy,

Thank you for reaching out. We appreciate the opportunity to respond.

CHM has been, is, and remains, a remarkable value in the American health care support cost environment. The range of services, costs, programs for pre-existing conditions, catastrophic costs, and many other factors, means that for Christians, CHM is the nation’s leading health cost sharing ministry.

We evaluate the current and projected inflation and the cost of sharing medical bills regularly to make sure that CHM is taking care of our members in a timely manner. Because of that, we can’t say with certainty if or when there will be another increase. However, you can rest assured that we steward monthly gifts effectively as is proven by annual, third-party audits that confirm that over 90 percent of every dollar goes to medical bill sharing.

Sincerely,
CHM Staff

A
Alec Kirby
July 8, 2022 @ 09:44
1.0  

They are always very helpful and getting a hold of a human is very easy which is nice. The downside is what I feared going into joining this program — the delay between the bills incurred and the payout is very long. I incurred credit card debt covering medical expenses because CHM took a VERY long time to reimburse us. Though they always came though, you need capital to cover costs while waiting for them to pay. And you are the middle man between the provider and CHM which is very stressful at times. I will not be continuing with CHM for this reason.

They are always very helpful and getting a hold of a human is very easy which is nice. The downside is what I feared going into joining this program — the delay between the bills incurred and the payout is very long. I incurred credit card debt..
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
July 14, 2022 @ 14:58

Hello Alec,

We’re sad to hear of your perspective on the ministry but appreciate having the opportunity to address your concerns.

Know that we care very much for our members and understand that sharing time has a large impact on our members. We have, therefore, worked hard to lower our sharing time over the years, and our current sharing time is 70-85 days once we receive all of the necessary forms and itemized bills.

In reviewing your membership, your post leaves out several important facts, such as the explanations of our sharing schedule you received, and the exception CHM extended to you (and about which you are aware).

Please know we generally share for bills in the order they are received to be fair to all our members. CHM shares 100% of eligible medical bills and has satisfied nearly $8 billion in healthcare costs for members since 1981. By abiding by the CHM Guidelines, we are fulfilling our promise to everyone who joins CHM. We trust you understand.

Sincerely,
CHM Staff

C
Christine Carter
June 29, 2022 @ 16:32
1.0  

I’ve been a loyal paying customer for CHM for 6 years. They originally covered my 2018 pregnancy in full which was wonderful. January of 2022 I required an extensive surgery for a myriad of painful conditions that I’ve lived with for many years, and upon receiving records from the hospital that I have THC in my blood, CHM labeled me a drug user and ineligible for sharing. CHM would rather I be dependent on anti depressants, anti anxiety meds, and opioids (which are all addictive and dangerous drugs which require weaning). I only use THC when I need to and only in the safest circumstances. I can even quit it anytime. They belittled me in the worst way and when I, a Christian, needed help most. Their guidelines need to be changed as I’ve seen THC help people with Parkinsons and severe seizures. Again, unfortunately they’d rather we be addicted to pharmaceuticals. This just isn’t biblical. Don’t support CHM. They don’t deserve it.

I’ve been a loyal paying customer for CHM for 6 years. They originally covered my 2018 pregnancy in full which was wonderful. January of 2022 I required an extensive surgery for a myriad of painful conditions that I’ve lived with for many..
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
July 6, 2022 @ 12:45

Dear Christine,

We appreciate having the opportunity to address your concerns.

CHM has a record of sharing payment for 100% of eligible medical bills. We’d have been happy to share for every one of your bills eligible for sharing under the ministry’s Guidelines. As you stated, which we appreciate, CHM shared for your 2018 maternity expenses.

Please know that the CHM staff cares very much about people going through different challenges in their lives: In 2021 alone, nearly $635 million was shared in medical expenses.

The Guidelines are clear: cannabinoid and related products, are ineligible for sharing regardless of the state’s legal position and that the use of these items my result in sharing limitations for other conditions.

Please also accept that CHM cannot share bills for use of unprescribed drugs or those that are unapproved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As Mayo Clinic explains, the FDA “has not approved the use of cannabis as a treatment for any medical conditions.”

Were our Guidelines not in place, any expense for any drug, regardless of its FDA approval or even legality, would have to be shared. As we hope you’ll understand, that isn’t possible.

The CHM Guidelines (chministries.org/guidelines) are available on our website, are provided to all members after joining the ministry, and are provided to all prospective members on our ministry’s website and upon request. They enable all members to know what is and isn’t eligible for sharing. Additionally, we often ask members to pay particular attention to, and ask questions about, Guidelines about which they have a particular interest.

Sharing medical bills according to the Guidelines provides fairness and consistency in the ministry’s processes. Additionally, it guarantees medical bill sharing decisions are not made arbitrarily. To not follow our Guidelines would be breaking faith with our members, and that we cannot do. We hope you understand.

Sincerely,
CHM Staff

B
Brian
June 3, 2022 @ 15:01
1.0  

BEWARE!!!!
If you think you’ll be getting regular insurance in the future after getting CHM, beware! We incurred a major bill DURING the time we were paying into CHM, then we got a new job with regular insurance, while our bill was still in PENDING with CHM. Even though we were actively paying into CHM during the time of the incident and when the bill was submitted to sharing, we were not reimbursed because we left before the bill was paid out–which takes 75-90 days!!! Not only did I waste money on CHM, but I had to pay out of my own pocket for the medical bill.
If someone is contributing to the sharing pool, they should be able to benefit on any bills incurred during that time. Highly unethical!!
I will never come back to CHM and will encourage everyone I know to stay away.

BEWARE!!!! If you think you’ll be getting regular insurance in the future after getting CHM, beware! We incurred a major bill DURING the time we were paying into CHM, then we got a new job with regular insurance, while our bill was still in P..
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
June 8, 2022 @ 12:19

Hello Brian,

We appreciate being able to respond to your comments.
We are disappointed in your perspective, given that when you notified us you were leaving CHM, we advised you of CHM’s Guidelines’ policy with respect to your bills and gave you a grace period before your membership – at your direction – was cancelled.

It’s also important and necessary to point out that CHM has never been, is not now, and will never be, insurance. This is made clear to members and prospective members on our website, in the CHM Guidelines (chministries.org/guidelines), and in each of our printed materials. The Guidelines, provided to members before and after joining, are very clear as to what medical bills are eligible for sharing for payment.

Section G of our Guidelines is unambiguous: memberships must be continuous and current in order for medical bills to be considered for reimbursement.

We must adhere to our Guidelines to maintain fairness to all of our members. This guarantees medical bill sharing decisions are not made arbitrarily. We are very transparent when it comes to eligibility, and our history shows that CHM has a record of sharing 100 percent of eligible medical bills.

For more information on eligibility, please email us at info@chministries.org or call 1-800-791-6225, and we would be happy to help.

Blessings,
CHM Staff

P
Peter Brubaker
May 29, 2022 @ 16:58
1.0  

In spite of being being members for five years, CHM refused to pay for our maternity need. It happened like this.

We have had most of the family member on the lower silver level due to it being the best fit for our family; higher personal responsibility–ie higher deductible in exchange for lower monthly rate. My wife however, had always been on the Gold level and we used CHM for two births and a broken arm. It worked, albeit slowly. The time it took from submittal until payment was often 3-4 months and the method for clarification or dealing with additional documents was clumsy, but overall it was okay. So here we were with baby #5. A few weeks after submitting the need, and assuming we were done having babies for the time being (maybe forever? 😀 ) I was on our CHM member portal and saw how much we could save by switching her to Silver, so I did so. Obviously no maternity coverage, but a risk I was willing to take. There were no popups, or warnings of any kind that if you do this, you will cancel or forfeit the need in progress. I forgot about it. The need progressed slower than normal. (I had filed it in August.) They asked for a clarification of the doula line on the midwife bill. We provided it. In December I called to see why the need had not been paid. No mention was made of switching to Silver. The lady on the phone worked with me to make sure everything was in order and the payment would be going out shortly. Only it didn’t. Instead of a check in the mail we got a letter of denial due to my wife being on the silver level. I called in and appealed. I spoke to a Anthony, explained everything, proposed to pay the difference between bronze and gold for the months we had missed. What if it had been a GREAT NEED? What if someone accidentally switched to a lower level and put tens of thousands of dollars at risk? I was appalled at the lack of empathy, and the “it’s our policy and clearly spelled out in the member handbook” attitude. I read the member handbook when we signed up several years ago, but didn’t have a thorough review of it since and struggled to find it in their polices after this happened. Anthony in effect said his hands were tied, and I could appeal to the “eligibility review board.” So I immediately submitted the following letter:

To the Eligibility Review Board,

First allow me to state the blessing that CHM has been to our family. We have been so blessed to be able to participate in sharing with other believers. In the years since we first became members we have had several babies and a broken arm and received the blessing of others gifts as well as had the privilege of sharing monthly in others needs.

In regards to our current maternity need, our little boy was born on August 3rd. I filled out the paperwork and uploaded it through the portal on August the 4th. I believe it was on/about the 15th that I was in the Member Portal reviewing everything. My wife was at Gold level—myself and our children at Silver. I thought something along the lines of “well this was baby #5. I think we’re (a) done or (b) a few years out from baby #6” so (because diapers are expensive!) changed her to Silver.

It never crossed my mind that in so doing I would trigger a cancellation of the current maternity need I had just submitted earlier.

Over the course of the next couple months, (I believe it was mostly in December) CHM asked for clarification of details on the documents or asked for additional items such as:
– A message in the portal to the affect that the Midwife’s bill needed to be itemized, Doulah birth assistant portion not covered, etc.
– A request for a new signed Checklist of Understanding
– An updated and signed Hipaa

The last two requests were right before Christmas. So In the end, I spent some time on the phone with CHM, just to be sure that you had everything you needed, even uploading and emailing both ways, so that you had what you needed quickly.

Fast forward to this month, I got a denial letter that the need was disqualified due to my change in my wife’s membership.

Now I do get where you’re coming from and your position makes total sense. But please consider it from my perspective as well—I keep thinking what if this had been a REAL hardship to our family or another member, to the extent of many thousands of dollars? I guess I am appalled at how easy it was for me to make the switch—and without any popup or warning message to the effect of “Are you sure you want to make this change” and referring me to your guidelines and what’s at stake if you do. I would plead with you to implement some type of popup or warning message.

In light of the above, I am requesting that you please consider restoring our maternity need back to active status. As a good faith gesture on my part, I would like to switch my wife back to Gold level and donate the difference between the Silver-Gold level for the months since the change.

Thank you for your attention to this matter and your service to the body of Christ.

Sincerely…

I enclosed our family photo and the birth announcement.

——-

After several more weeks of waiting CHM again issued a final decision and denial letter. They did not believe our explanation of not know the policy was sufficient and could not set a precedent.

In spite of being being members for five years, CHM refused to pay for our maternity need. It happened like this. We have had most of the family member on the lower silver level due to it being the best fit for our family; higher personal responsibi..
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
June 2, 2022 @ 12:31

Dear Peter:

With respect to you and your family, and with appreciation for your kind words and your honesty, we offer the following response.

Our Guidelines exist for consistency and fairness to all members. Were we to deviate from them in individual situations, they would become meaningless. Abiding by the Guidelines is essential for the hundreds of thousands of members who are dealing with thousands of dollars in medical bills. These Guidelines (chministries.org/guidelines), provided to members before and after joining, make sure that members know what is eligible for sharing.

Switching to Silver level was, as you say, “Obviously no maternity [provision], but a risk I was willing to take.” This is consistent with our records, which show you acknowledged several times what was involved with moving from one participation level to another.

The ministry routinely asks, encourages, and promotes that members are aware of membership level services, and ask that members be sure they are at the right participation level for their needs. Additionally, CHM highlights our different services extensively, including the maternity program: https://chministries.org/how-it-works/my-medical-needs/maternity/.

Please understand that—as much as we appreciate your kind words about what CHM has done for you and your family—we cannot unilaterally alter our Guidelines for an individual member without being unfair to every other member who abides by the Guidelines.

We hope you will remain a member, and if so, we will serve you honestly and spiritually under our Guidelines.

Blessings,
CHM Staff

J
Jim
April 18, 2022 @ 16:01
1.0  

I’ve been a Gold-level member with CHM (with BrothersKeeper) for about 16 months. Here’s what you need to know before signing up with CHM.

If you identify yourself as self-pay to a medical provider (as CHM indicates you should do), be prepared to be treated like a leper by many medical providers, especially hospitals. This is not CHM’s fault, but it’s the state of medical care in the U.S., and it significantly affects CHM members. Expect to pay upfront for the total amount of service (consider $10-40k for surgery).

CHM will tell you that they have a special service to deal with this scenario (called the “Date of Service” team) that will pay upfront. Unfortunately, this service is not included in their guidelines (https://chministries.org/resources/chm-guidelines/), so they are under no obligation to pre-pay for anything. Customer service staff speak of it as if it were part of their standard guidelines but, in practices, there are all sorts of policies invoked to avoid paying upfront (e.g., hospital requires full payment 72 hrs in advance, but CHM will only pay 24 hrs in advance).

Bottom line, expect to pay for major medical services upfront (assuming you have the financial capacity to do so), wait 30 days for the hospital to send you an itemized bill, submit to CHM, then wait 60-90 days for reimbursement (per CHM guidelines). If you can’t pay upfront, you’ll need to find a medical provider who doesn’t require self-pay patients to pay upfront – good luck. If you’re told something by a CHM member support, ask them where you can find it in their guidelines because if it isn’t in writing, it’s an empty promise.

I’ve been a Gold-level member with CHM (with BrothersKeeper) for about 16 months. Here’s what you need to know before signing up with CHM. If you identify yourself as self-pay to a medical provider (as CHM indicates you should do), be pr..
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
April 25, 2022 @ 09:30

Dear Jim,

We appreciate the opportunity to respond. CHM has worked with more than 100,000 healthcare providers nationwide; in fact, after working with CHM, many providers have become members. CHM shares for payment 100% of eligible medical bills, a fact confirmed by independent annual audits and financial records.

We ask members to call us if their provider has questions about health cost sharing or if they indicate a reluctance to provide a self-pay discount. Our Member Advocate team can negotiate on your behalf. Additionally, our Date of Service team is skilled at working with providers to ensure members are being given fair pricing, and has successfully helped many members in upfront payment situations.

We don’t have enough information from this site to locate your membership. Please call us so we can discuss the situation you’ve outlined. Contact us at 1-800-791-6225 or email us at info@chministries.org.

Blessings,

The CHM staff

E
Elizabeth D Kirk
March 13, 2022 @ 09:55
1.0  

Not happy with this plan. It’s difficult to navigate. Most doctors want upfront payment if you are “self pay,” and they won’t provide an itemized statement of the gross amount if you are self pay.

Christian Healthcare Ministries
April 25, 2022 @ 13:12

Dear Elizabeth,

Thank you for sharing your experience. CHM has worked with more than 100,000 healthcare providers nationwide; in fact, after working with CHM, many providers have become members. CHM shares for payment 100% of eligible medical bills, a fact confirmed by independent annual audits and financial records.

We ask members to call us if their provider has questions about health cost sharing or if they indicate a reluctance to provide a self-pay discount. Additionally, we have a Member Advocate team who can and is eager to negotiate on your behalf. We also maintain a list of CHM-friendly providers and providers eager to work with self-pay patients, which you can find on our website: https://chministries.org/how-it-works/recommended-providers/.

We don’t have enough information from this site to locate your membership. Please call us so we can discuss the situation you’ve outlined. Contact methods are 1-800-791-6225 or email us at info@chministries.org.

Blessings,

The CHM staff

K
Kim Culp
February 27, 2022 @ 11:19
5.0  

I have had CHM for several years and am vary satisfied with then. Three years ago I cut the end of my thumb off. CHM covered most of the costs of the operation and followup. The staff was GREAT to work with. I have recommended them to my friends.

I have had CHM for several years and am vary satisfied with then. Three years ago I cut the end of my thumb off. CHM covered most of the costs of the operation and followup. The staff was GREAT to work with. I have recommended them to my friends...
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
February 28, 2022 @ 14:17

Hi Kim!

While we’re sorry to hear about your injury, it’s our honor to have been able to walk alongside you through it. Thank you for sharing your #IamCHM story!

Blessings,

The CHM staff

J
Jake Eastwood
January 18, 2022 @ 21:23
1.0  

The Good: Inexpensive
The Bad: Unless you read all the fine print (who does these days?) you’ll find that they cover very little. Their sales reps are selling a product that delivers very little, while they make it sound like they’re a “real” alternative to health care companies like Blue Cross – they’re not.
The Ugly: You do all the work when it comes to filing your claims with them. I mean EVERYTHING. You have to collect all the lab data, doctor’s notes, diagnostic codes, when the janitor takes his lunch break, etc. They also take forever to pay…and this after they take 30 days getting to a point where they need more information, at which point they take weeks more to adjust. Yikes.

Bottom line: If you’re looking for a genuine alternative to the big health care organizations, CHM is not for you.

The Good: Inexpensive The Bad: Unless you read all the fine print (who does these days?) you’ll find that they cover very little. Their sales reps are selling a product that delivers very little, while they make it sound like they’re a &#..
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
February 16, 2022 @ 13:20

Hi Jake,

Thank you for expressing your concerns regarding CHM. We’re sad to hear of your perspective on the ministry, but appreciate having the opportunity to address your concerns.

It’s important to first explain that CHM is not insurance and never presents itself as insurance. This is made clear to members and prospective members on our website, in the CHM Guidelines (chministries.org/guidelines), and in each of our printed materials. In addition, the Guidelines, provided to members before and after joining, are very clear as to what is eligible for sharing and what is not.

We always keep the most current sharing time visible to members and updated on our website (found here https://chministries.org/resources/bill-sharing-process/) so members are never in the dark regarding when they can expect reimbursement for their medical bills.

Our history shows that CHM has a record of sharing 100 percent of eligible medical bills, and we have shared over $7 billion since our inception in 1981.

If you would like to dive deeper into the specifics of your situation, please email us at info@chministries.org or call 1-800-791-6225, and we would be happy to review your situation with you.

Blessings,

The CHM staff

T
T Patterson
January 18, 2022 @ 16:20
5.0  

I have been a member of CHM for over 4 years and 2021 was the first time I filed a claim. I have a bronze membership. The short review is that CHM did everything their guidelines said they would do, and they reimbursed us for all the qualified medical expenses. I found the staff responsive and friendly.

Healthcare sharing is not insurance and doesn’t act like insurance. If you go this route it is essentially self-pay, which you are then reimbursed by CHM within three months. All the one-star reviews I read here are people who did not read the CHM guidelines and really did not understand what you are being covered for.

The bronze program in my mind is catastrophic protection. CHM will help pay the medical bills when they exceed $5,000 per incident per person. What I really like is that because I am self pay I go to whatever doctor I want to. There is not “out of network” doctors I can’t use. With CHM we pay about 35% the cost of health insurance monthly, but we pay all the cost under $5,000 per incident, and some of the costs that are not covered when the bill exceeds $5,000. In my case CHM paid 100% of what I thought they were going to pay. CHM has been a blessing to our family.

If you have a chronic condition or are uncomfortable acting as a self-pay patient this is not for you. In deciding whether to sign up you need to balance your finances, how healthy you are, and your comfort acting outside the mainstream of how healthcare payment works in the US.

Edit from Site Admin: Thank you for the detailed, thorough review and explanation. Comments like this keep this site going and are invaluable in helping other people decide which companies might work for them (if any; like you said, it isn’t for everyone). This is a gold-star review.

I have been a member of CHM for over 4 years and 2021 was the first time I filed a claim. I have a bronze membership. The short review is that CHM did everything their guidelines said they would do, and they reimbursed us for all the qualified medica..
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
January 19, 2022 @ 18:46

Dear T,

Thank you for sharing your experiences with CHM and helping others to understand how CHM works. It’s our honor to serve you!

Blessings,

The CHM staff

K
Kalee A
December 16, 2021 @ 17:37
1.0  

I have been a member since 2016 and have felt comfort being with CHM’s program. My husband and I have been trying for 4 years now to get pregnant and it hasn’t happened. As Christrian’s, we’ve prayed, we’ve fasted, we’ve gone to numerous doctors for countless tests and medications. It has been the hardest trial we’ve ever gone through. We believe that it is a commandment to multiply and replenish the earth, so why can’t we comply? It has been so frustrating.

As a last resort, we have been recommended to undergo IVF. We’ve prayed and fasted much to know that this is the right thing to do. As we see some light at the end of the tunnel because the chances are fairly high that it will take, we found out that CHM doesn’t cover births resulting from IVF. We were surprised because we know that most other healthcare sharing companies do. I understand that the IVF cost wouldn’t be covered because that isn’t something that 99.5% of mother’s have to go through but why wouldn’t the birth be covered? With modern technology, testing is available to reduce the chances of any problems with the baby, making the total costs less.

I have been a member since 2016 and have felt comfort being with CHM’s program. My husband and I have been trying for 4 years now to get pregnant and it hasn’t happened. As Christrian’s, we’ve prayed, we’ve fasted, we&#..
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
January 19, 2022 @ 18:29

Dear Kalee,

Thank you for expressing your concerns regarding CHM’s policies on IVF.

An advantage CHM provides its members is that the ministry is very clear on what is and is not eligible for sharing through the Guidelines (chministries.org/guidelines), provided to members before and after they join. By sharing medical bills according to our ministry’s Guidelines, it provides fairness and consistency in the ministry’s processes. CHM has shared more than $7 billion in members’ medical bills, from heart transplants to simple medical issues, always with the Guidelines giving us direction.

We are excited for the blessing of your child, and will be praying for you as you begin your journey as a parent. However, we must follow the Guidelines. We trust you understand.

Blessings,

The CHM staff

A
Aaron H
November 24, 2021 @ 15:36
4.0  

My family and I were members of CHM for a few years, a few years ago. I liked their affordable family plans and the tiers of service make it so everyone can get just what they need and keep their bills down.

We never had to actually use the sharing service as–thank God–we’ve been very healthy overall, so I can’t give it 5 stars without seeing how that works. But, other than that it was really good for us until I could get medical coverage through my job.

My family and I were members of CHM for a few years, a few years ago. I liked their affordable family plans and the tiers of service make it so everyone can get just what they need and keep their bills down. We never had to actually use the sharing ..
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
December 13, 2021 @ 18:34

Hello Aaron!

Thank you for your kind words, and for sharing your #IamCHM story! It’s our honor to stand beside you and your family.

Blessings,

The CHM staff

C
Chelsey
November 19, 2021 @ 20:39
1.0  

I wish I could give zero stars. Difficult. Stressful. Dreadful experience. Paid so much money for absolutely nothing in return. It is such a chore. Please don’t get this insurance. It is truly horrible. Going through a pregnancy and my husband’s injury surgery put so much stress and strain. We had to pay everything for my husband’s surgery up front. So now my husband is injured AND can’t work, yet we had to pay for all of his surgeries up front or we couldn’t get the life threatening surgery. Long story short. We had no money, no income and absolutely no help from CHM. We were in debt for surgery before we ever saw a single reimbursement check (3.5 months later). And we also had to pester them into which money should be shared. I do not believe CHM employees are qualified or knowledgeable at their jobs. My husband, myself and our two young kids were put through so much agony and distress… over HEALTHCARE. That is not a Christian way (or professional way) to run a business. Healthcare shouldn’t put you in debt. Healthcare shouldn’t refuse to pay you in a timely manner, while also demanding 600 a month while you wait for your reimbursement.

I wish I could give zero stars. Difficult. Stressful. Dreadful experience. Paid so much money for absolutely nothing in return. It is such a chore. Please don’t get this insurance. It is truly horrible. Going through a pregnancy and my husband&..
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
December 13, 2021 @ 18:31

Dear Chelsey,

We have read with interest and attention your description of your experience. We value every member, and we want very much to explore the details of what you say has occurred. However, the information you’ve provided is quite limited and we can’t locate your membership information based on this description. The sequence of events you’ve described is contrary in every respect to the way our members’ shared medical bills are handled and the way the ministry works with its members. Additionally, we have been sent quite literally thousands of messages complimenting ministry employees on their service to members.

Medical bills for payment are shared according to the CHM Guidelines (chministries.org/guidelines), which are made available to members before and after they join. If your bills are eligible, they most certainly are to be shared. In its history CHM has shared a total approaching $7 billion of members’ medical bills.

Please know that we do have a team ready to help with this very situation of upfront payment. Our Date of Service team is always eager to help members with providers requiring upfront payments. They can easily be reached by calling our ministry at 1-800-791-6225 or by emailing info@chministres.org.

If you would like to dive deeper into the specifics of your situation, please email us at info@chministries.org or call 1-800-791-6225, and we would be happy to review your situation with you.

Blessings,

The CHM staff

J
Janet E Guthrie
November 7, 2021 @ 11:09
1.0  

I am thoroughly disappointed in this company! I would not recommend it to anyone! I was told it takes 30 days to process a reimbursement when I called to check on it two weeks after sending it in. At 4 weeks I called, I was told it takes 60 – 90 days to process reimbursements! I said I wanted to cancel my membership. Then they told me if I canceled my membership, my reimbursement (if any) would be canceled. They also told me I had to give them 30 days notice to cancel my membership! That means they would withdraw one more payment within a few days! After 10 months of paying membership fees, it’s a little hard to swallow. I think that is wrong! It is immoral and unethical!

I never would have signed up for such a program if I thought they were not going to be honorable & have the integrity to follow through with a past medical bills!

I guess I will have to thank Dave Ramsey!

I am thoroughly disappointed in this company! I would not recommend it to anyone! I was told it takes 30 days to process a reimbursement when I called to check on it two weeks after sending it in. At 4 weeks I called, I was told it takes 60 –..
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
November 8, 2021 @ 21:57

Dear Janet,

We’re sad to hear of your perspective on the ministry, but appreciate having the opportunity to address your concerns.

As a ministry, CHM seeks to share as many medical bills for as many members as possible; however, we must also abide by the CHM Guidelines that govern the ministry. These Guidelines, provided to members before and after joining, ensure that members know what can be shared and what cannot. Guidelines II.G states that if you discontinue your membership, your bills will be ineligible for sharing. Additionally, this information can be found in the Terms and Conditions on CHM’s website (https://www.chministries.org/resources/chm-guidelines/).

In addition, we always keep the most current sharing time visible to members and updated on our website here: https://chministries.org/resources/bill-sharing-process/.

The CHM staff provides as much financial assistance as we can, and our history shows that CHM has a record of sharing 100 percent of eligible medical bills. However, we must authorize medical bills in accordance with the CHM Guidelines.

We hope you will understand that nothing is being denied to you: we are fulfilling our promise to everyone who joins CHM, that we will follow the ministry’s Guidelines, in fairness to all members.

Blessings,

CHM Staff

S
Shauna
November 3, 2021 @ 18:32
5.0  

We have had CHM for 2 years and they have been great for us. It’s scary at first, wondering if they truly are going to pay but we’ve had multiple hospital visits and so far haven’t had any issues with reimbursements. It’s nice being able to go to whichever Dr we want and not being told which ones we can see!

We have had CHM for 2 years and they have been great for us. It’s scary at first, wondering if they truly are going to pay but we’ve had multiple hospital visits and so far haven’t had any issues with reimbursements. It’s nice being able to g..
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
November 8, 2021 @ 21:54

Hi Shauna,

Thank you for your kind words! It’s our honor to serve you through the ups and downs of life.

Blessings,

The CHM staff

L
Lydia Sheppard
October 18, 2021 @ 20:42
1.0  

If I could leave no stars I would. I’ve been a member of this organization for YEARS! Which I’ve never truly had any problems with. I have paid in year after year with only my maternity bills ever needing covered. I lost my job so I had to go to the bronze level until
I could afford gold again, so I canceled at end of March and picked back up may 1st, only skipping April. I submitted bills from tests and doctors visits in May after I signed back up under gold level.
My bills were denied for sharing because my symptoms started in February, which by the way, were headaches, something most people including myself experience multiple days a month or more. I had never been to the doctor for the headaches until I was covered under CHM. When signing back up, the man I spoke to assured me that I would be covered for any tests, doctors visits. I now owe $4000+ to cover my bills. I wish I would have never signed back up under CHM and could’ve been paying almost $200 a month to my bills instead of this organization who “has to follow the guidelines.”
After being a member for at least 8 years, I am VERY, HIGHLY disappointed in the way this was handled and I believe the “guidelines” need to be re-evaluated to stop scamming people out of their money. I’ve taken so little and given so much. I’m very disappointed and will be leaving CHM as soon as there is open enrollment at my husbands job.
Don’t waste your time!

If I could leave no stars I would. I’ve been a member of this organization for YEARS! Which I’ve never truly had any problems with. I have paid in year after year with only my maternity bills ever needing covered. I lost my job so I had to go to..
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
January 11, 2022 @ 19:33

Hello Lydia,

We appreciate very much that you were a CHM member, and we would have been happy to have worked with you through your job loss to enable you to maintain your membership without change.

You are correct: we abide by the ministry’s Guidelines. The CHM Guidelines (chministries.org/guidelines) are provided to members and prospective members, and easily found on our website. In frequent communications, we ask that members be sure they are aware of the Guidelines and make decisions with them in mind. Following the Guidelines provides fairness and consistency for all members.

Given your comments, it’s important to state that had you followed the Guidelines and had allowed us to work with you, this series of events would not have occurred. Additionally, our records show that you weren’t given information over the phone that would contradict or circumvent the Guidelines.

We of course wish you felt differently, and we’re sorry that the situation has unfolded in this manner.

Please, by all means, contact us at info@chministries.org or 1-800-791-6225 if you wish additional explanation or clarification. We wish the best for you.

Blessings,

The CHM staff

L
Laura
September 16, 2021 @ 10:41
2.0  

I had moved to a new state and was hopeful when I saw CHM had a network of “hundreds” of doctors I could choose from. But then, they told me I had to call each one and ask first if they would work with CHM. Um, what? Isn’t that *your* job? So someone I spoke to there said they would indeed call for me. Ok, great. A week goes by, nothing. Another week. I call and am finally told they are, indeed, calling around, but in those two weeks they’d only found ONE provider who would work with CHM, and they gave me that info, and said they’d keep calling. So that list of hundreds of providers? Of course there are hundreds of providers – it’s Los Angeles! – but obviously it wasn’t updated or current or based in any sort of “these are the providers who work with us” truth.

Awful. We left.

I had moved to a new state and was hopeful when I saw CHM had a network of “hundreds” of doctors I could choose from. But then, they told me I had to call each one and ask first if they would work with CHM. Um, what? Isn’t that *you..
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
September 23, 2021 @ 19:05

Hello Laura,

Thank you for sharing your concern and we trust what we’re about to share will be of help.

CHM is clear in its communication that there is no network or list from which you must choose a health care provider: CHM members are able to choose any provider they wish. As such, as long as the medical expenses are eligible for sharing within our Guidelines, your healthcare provider options are virtually countless.

Furthermore, CHM does not inject itself between you and your provider: health care decisions are made by the provider and the CHM member. There is no need for the provider to request an authorization for a test, procedure, or anything else. Most providers, when they learn of this fact alone, are pleased to see CHM patients. Again, the only thing for the member to verify (if there’s a question) is that the expense is eligible under the Guidelines.

CHM members explain to providers that they are self-pay patients, and to request a self-pay discount. The vast majority of providers already have automatic discounts set up for self-pay patients. Apart from personal responsibility amounts, CHM will reimburse you 100 percent of your expenses – and obtaining discounts reduces or eliminates personal responsibility amounts.

All these are positives of which we hope you won’t lose sight.

We maintain a list of CHM-friendly providers (https://chministries.org/resources/chm-friendly-providers/). These are providers who have expressed interest in serving CHM members and have extended a prearranged discount on your behalf. However, CHM members throughout the country are seen by providers who are not on the ministry’s provider-friendly list: the list exists as an information resource for our members.

We hope this helps provide to you a greater understanding on this subject. We also invite you to reach out to us at info@chministries.org or by calling 1-800-791-6225.

Blessings,

The CHM staff

D
Deborah E
August 17, 2021 @ 21:45
2.0  

If you have cancer and need a surgeon to remove your tumor and one that will agree to wait on payment from CHM, then I wish you luck. I needed a surgeon and couldn’t find one in the whole state of Florida. I wrote to them to ask if they knew anyone and they could not recommend a single doctor. That’s the problem, you have to find doctors who will agree to wait on payment for any surgical procedure. They are few and far between. I ended up going with Obama care for expensive insurance. There are plenty of doctors who will accept Blue Cross Blue Shield.

If you have cancer and need a surgeon to remove your tumor and one that will agree to wait on payment from CHM, then I wish you luck. I needed a surgeon and couldn’t find one in the whole state of Florida. I wrote to them to ask if they knew an..
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
September 15, 2021 @ 16:45

Dear Deborah,

We’re sad to hear of your perspective on the ministry, but appreciate having the opportunity to address your concerns.

Since CHM is a ministry serving you, we don’t have a provider network you must abide by. As long as the expenses are eligible for sharing within our Guidelines, your healthcare provider options are countless. Many providers are excited to work with CHM and are willing to provide members with a self-pay discount or set up small payment plans as you wait for CHM’s sharing check.

We always invite members to call our office at 1-800-791-6225 and ask for the Member Advocate department if you need help setting up a pre-payment agreement or explaining CHM to a provider. We’ve worked with many doctors in Florida.

If you’d like to discuss this further, we invite you to call (1-800-791-3225) or email (info@chministries.org) us and we would be happy to answer any of your questions.

Blessings,

The CHM staff

M
Michael
July 20, 2021 @ 14:51
1.0  

Was a member with them for over 5 years and never had to use them. However when I did need to use them I sent in my bills. Before I could get reimbursed I changed to a different health insurance. They declined my medical bills because I cancelled my plan. Will never use again. Paid premiums for 5 years and when I did need them they flaked.

Was a member with them for over 5 years and never had to use them. However when I did need to use them I sent in my bills. Before I could get reimbursed I changed to a different health insurance. They declined my medical bills because I cancelled ..
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
August 9, 2021 @ 19:31

Dear Michael,

We’re sad to hear of your perspective on the ministry, but appreciate having the opportunity to address your concerns.

As a ministry, CHM seeks to share as many medical bills for as many members as possible; however, we must also abide by the CHM Guidelines that govern the ministry. These Guidelines, provided to members before and after joining, ensure that members know what can be shared and what cannot. Guidelines G.4 and J.4 state that if you discontinue your membership, your bills will be ineligible for sharing. Additionally, this information can be found in the Terms and Conditions on CHM’s website (https://www.chministries.org/resources/chm-guidelines/).

The CHM staff provides as much financial assistance as we can, and our history shows that CHM has a record of sharing 100 percent of eligible medical bills. However, we must authorize medical bills in accordance with the CHM Guidelines.

We hope you will understand that nothing is being denied to you: we are fulfilling our promise to everyone who joins CHM, that we will follow the ministry’s Guidelines, in fairness to all members.

Blessings,

CHM Staff

C
CT
July 12, 2021 @ 23:28
1.0  

I broke my ankle. Over 6 months later and NOTHING. They keep asking for premiums and give NOTHING in return. I was forced to get REAL insurance for my family because they make claims nearly IMPOSSIBLE! Super disappointed to say the least. Now I have to eat $40,000 in surgery bills! Not Christian at all! Don’t waste your time or money. They drag out claims so they can keep collecting premiums… I finally said enough after they wanted me to sue the roller skating rink where I broke my ankle. It was NOT the facility’s fault!
*Read the fine print and ask them what percentage of premiums they REALLY pay out! SCAM!

I broke my ankle. Over 6 months later and NOTHING. They keep asking for premiums and give NOTHING in return. I was forced to get REAL insurance for my family because they make claims nearly IMPOSSIBLE! Super disappointed to say the least. Now I have ..
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
July 19, 2021 @ 19:53

We appreciate the opportunity to reply; however, we are unable to fully respond to this review as we are missing important details regarding the following:

• We don’t know if this person is actually a member of our ministry or some other organization, as we have no name, member identification, or other way to verify this person’s membership.

• As for the remainder of the complaint, until or unless we can determine the membership status of the individual involved, we have no way to know if it involves a CHM member imparting information from or about us; for example, CHM would not suggest or insist that any such lawsuit be filed by a member.

• What helps lead to the belief that this may not be a CHM member is the usage of insurance-related terminology in the complaint. CHM isn’t insurance, and never uses such terms as claims or premiums. CHM is a voluntary health cost ministry – not insurance – and we make this clear before and after a member joins.

We ask CT to reach out to us through the contact information available on our website (chministries.org/contact-us/) so that we can verify his membership and, if so, address his issue according to our ministry’s Guidelines.

Thank you,
CHM staff

B
Bill Rains
May 27, 2021 @ 15:20
4.0  

I’ve been with CHM for 5 years been great.

Christian Healthcare Ministries
May 28, 2021 @ 19:48

Thank you for this kind review, Bill!

J
Jonathan Vincent
May 10, 2021 @ 15:11
1.0  

I have been with CHM for several years. I hit my head when I rolled an ATV. I wasn’t wearing a helmet, which I normally do, but I was turning the machine around to load it and didn’t put one on. Even though I normally wear one Idaho law does not require adults wear helmets while operating an ATV. Anyways, I received several stitches and about 10 staples. The hospital bills ($21,000) were sent to CHM. I didn’t hear anything for 10 months. I figured they were paid. I got a collection for the $21000 in the mail. At that point I called them and asked them why they want covered. They said because I did not follow the manufacturer’s recommendations nothing would be covered. I actually called Medi Share and they said they would cover between 85 and 100% of the bills under the same circumstance. I called two other insurance companies and they said insurance is designed to cover accidents and most accidents somebody neglects to follow manufacturers recommendations that’s why there’s an accident and that they would cover 100% of the bill after deductible. Needless to say I have now switched my membership to Medi Share. Medi Share actually has telemedicine and they will submit all of the bills directly from the hospital or Care facility which is huge. Honestly, the experience has been incredibly frustrating especially from a business that claims to be Christian based. It seems to be useless if they don’t cover accidents. The fine print can always find a reason to decline coverage. I would cancel my current policy or not sign up with these guys and try Medi Share.

I have been with CHM for several years. I hit my head when I rolled an ATV. I wasn’t wearing a helmet, which I normally do, but I was turning the machine around to load it and didn’t put one on. Even though I normally wear one Idaho law d..
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
May 28, 2021 @ 19:52

Dear Jonathan,

Thank you for sharing your concern and we’re sorry to hear of your perspective on our ministry.

As a ministry, CHM seeks to share as many medical bills for as many members as possible. With biblical precepts as our guide, we do our best to say “yes” rather than “no.” However, we must also abide by the CHM Guidelines that govern the ministry in order to act in fairness to all members. These Guidelines, provided to members in their Welcome Packets and available on our website, ensure that members know what can be shared and what cannot.

Per CHM Guideline W.3, CHM can only share medical bills when all safety equipment recommended by the manufacturer of the motorized vehicle is being worn by the member in the way recommended by that manufacturer.

The CHM staff provides as much financial assistance as we can, and our history shows that CHM has a record of sharing 100 percent of eligible medical bills. However, we must authorize medical bills in accordance with the CHM Guidelines.

We assure you that our passion is to share our members’ medical bills as soon and as efficiently as possible. It is why we do what we do.

Sincerely,

CHM Staff

B
Brandi Rust
April 22, 2021 @ 21:08
1.0  

I have had CHM since 2017 but have never needed it until now. Eight years ago I had a lumbar fusion. I now need another fusion for another level disc. I get completely different information every time I talk to them. It has been a nightmare trying to get prices from everyone for my surgery. (Which the representative I spoke to originally never even told me I needed). I finally get everything figured out because my surgery is 5 days away and I get an e-mail saying it is deemed pre-existing, and they won’t pay anything. I have had CHM for 4 years with no claims or physical issues, and they are calling it pre-existing. It has been a full on mess. At this point, my back is “unstable” as stated by my imaging reports, and I have to cancel surgery and apply for regular insurance.

I have had CHM since 2017 but have never needed it until now. Eight years ago I had a lumbar fusion. I now need another fusion for another level disc. I get completely different information every time I talk to them. It has been a nightmare trying to..
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
May 28, 2021 @ 20:25

Dear Brandi,

Thank you for sharing your concern and we’re sorry to hear of your perspective on our ministry.

As a ministry, CHM seeks to share as many medical bills for as many members as possible. With biblical precepts as our guide, we do our best to say “yes” rather than “no.” However, we must also abide by the CHM Guidelines that govern the ministry in order to act in fairness to all members. These Guidelines, provided to members in their Welcome Packets and available on our website, ensure that members know what can be shared and what cannot.

Guideline Z defines a pre-existing condition as any medical condition for which you experience signs, symptoms, testing or treatment before joining CHM. Guideline AA explains our TWO programs for pre-existing conditions, including the Prayer Page for members on Silver or Bronze. We hope you’ll be encouraged by this: over $20 million in eligible bills was shared for pre-existing conditions in 2020 with over $6 million shared on the Prayer Page. We invite you to learn more about these programs by reaching out to us or by visiting our website: https://chministries.org/resources/chm-guidelines/pre-existing-conditions/.

The CHM staff provides as much financial assistance as we can, and our history shows that CHM has a record of sharing 100 percent of eligible medical bills. However, we must authorize medical bills in accordance with the CHM Guidelines.

We assure you that our passion is to share our members’ medical bills as soon and as efficiently as possible. It is why we do what we do.

Sincerely,

CHM Staff

S
Stephanie Verschueren
April 20, 2021 @ 17:40
1.0  

I had Covid19 in November 2020 that landed me in the hospital. I was paid through that month when my husband lost his job due to Covid. We could not afford to pay for the healthcare sharing the following month. I finally received my bill from the hospital for approximately $2500 in February which I immediately submitted to Christian Healthcare Ministries. It took them until middle of April to tell me they were not going to pay after I was told I would receive a check by the end of April. My husband signed up for unemployment in November and STILL has not seen any unemployment money. It is unfair that we have paid around $700 monthly for this healthcare sharing and cannot get just one claim paid. I would NEVER recommend this to anyone.

I had Covid19 in November 2020 that landed me in the hospital. I was paid through that month when my husband lost his job due to Covid. We could not afford to pay for the healthcare sharing the following month. I finally received my bill from the hos..
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
May 28, 2021 @ 21:09

Dear Stephanie,

We’re sad to hear of your perspective on the ministry, but appreciate having the opportunity to address your concerns.

As a ministry, CHM seeks to share as many medical bills for as many members as possible; however, we must also abide by the CHM Guidelines that govern the ministry in order to act in fairness to all members. This includes Guidelines G.4 and J.4 which state that if you discontinue your membership, your bills will be ineligible for sharing. Additionally, this information can be found in the Terms and Conditions on CHM’s website (https://www.chministries.org/resources/chm-guidelines/).

CHM is founded on the biblical principles in Galatians 6:2-5—where Christians are admonished to carry each other’s burdens, while each person is still responsible for carrying his/her own load. As such, the Guidelines were created to serve and protect you and every other ministry member and include ways in which CHM members can carry their own load while others join in to assist when the load becomes too great. Since the ministry’s inception in 1981, CHM members have shared 100 percent of eligible medical expenses according to the CHM Guidelines.

Blessings,

CHM Staff

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Chris Marchiondo
April 6, 2021 @ 15:07
5.0  

I’ve been with CHM for about 3 years to save some money on Health insurance premiums ($2200/mo) and because I was sick of having to get anything approved through Kaiser. I pay around $550/mo for their highest coverage for my family of 6. I’ve enjoyed being able to take my kids to any doctor I want. Everything is cheaper when you tell them you are a cash payer. I never sent in a bill for reimbursement until a few months ago. I decided to have surgery on both feet. Total cost was around $18k. Honestly, I was just hoping that they would cover around half as this was a pre-existing condition. I was shocked when I received a check for the whole amount except for the $300 deductible. They also didn’t reimburse for my wheelchair and crutches. Took around 2.5 months to get the check from CHM.

I’ve been with CHM for about 3 years to save some money on Health insurance premiums ($2200/mo) and because I was sick of having to get anything approved through Kaiser. I pay around $550/mo for their highest coverage for my family of 6. IR..
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
May 28, 2021 @ 21:10

Thank you for your kind review, Chris!

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AJ Warner
November 30, 2020 @ 20:58
5.0  

Hi as a chm member I realize this information in cons is inaccurate. Not a solid review since this article is old outdated. best to read in at chministries.com for yourself At CHM they negotiate my bills with providers. They have a member advocate call center that handles all my bills. Also they have a program that handles any long-term or big time healthcare needs over $125,ooo. It’s called Brothers Keeper. I came across this review to see what it says and realize how inaccurate it is. I have been with chm for some time and have had no issues and they pay within 30-40 days of service. Easy process and great people there. I give 5 stars and don’t see myself returning to obamacare regular insurance.

Hi as a chm member I realize this information in cons is inaccurate. Not a solid review since this article is old outdated. best to read in at chministries.com for yourself At CHM they negotiate my bills with providers. They have a member advocate ca..
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
June 7, 2021 @ 20:03

Thank you for these kind words, AJ! It’s our honor to serve you.

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Shannon
November 2, 2020 @ 20:02
1.0  

This is the most unchristian company I have ever dealt with to put that name in their business. They consistently refuse to cover medical costs regardless the circumstances and also change what they are willing to cover depending on who you talk to. I’m very sorry I ever decided to do business with them.

This is the most unchristian company I have ever dealt with to put that name in their business. They consistently refuse to cover medical costs regardless the circumstances and also change what they are willing to cover depending on who you talk to. ..
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
June 8, 2021 @ 16:58

Dear Shannon,

Thank you for sharing your perspective of CHM.

The CHM staff provides as much financial assistance as we can, and our history shows that CHM has a record of sharing 100 percent of eligible medical bills in accordance with the CHM Guidelines. This fact is verified by our annual independent audits, and our ranking as a Better Business Bureau Accredited Charity.

We must also abide by the CHM Guidelines that govern the ministry in order to act in fairness to all members. These Guidelines, provided to members before and after they join, make certain that members and prospective members know what can be shared and what cannot.

If you would like more information about this, I invite you to reach out to us through social media or a phone call. You can also read our Guidelines here: https://chministries.org/resources/chm-guidelines.

Sincerely,

The CHM Staff

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DES
October 27, 2020 @ 03:16
5.0  

We have been using CHM as our primary coverage for a family of 5. The option to see any provider you wish is great as there is no ‘in or out of network’. We have recommended their services to family and friends for a long time.

Christian Healthcare Ministries
June 7, 2021 @ 20:23

Thank you for your kind words!

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CDW
September 25, 2020 @ 15:33
1.0  

They don’t cover ambulance rides to the hospital. I had an emergency at 2am, I live alone and was in too much pain to drive. Called 911 and was hit with a $700 ambulance ride bill that CHM denied. They do not cover ambulance rides to the hospital BUT once you arrive at the hospital and you need to be escorted by ambulance to ANOTHER hospital, then they will cover the expense for the ride in the second ambulance. This is terrible and hardly the Christian way. Makes no sense. I will be terminating my membership through my employer who is wasting his money every month on this joke of a company. This company is antiquated, among other things.

They don’t cover ambulance rides to the hospital. I had an emergency at 2am, I live alone and was in too much pain to drive. Called 911 and was hit with a $700 ambulance ride bill that CHM denied. They do not cover ambulance rides to the hos..
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
June 9, 2021 @ 17:21

Dear CDW,

We appreciate this opportunity to respond, and trust it will be informative and helpful about this aspect of CHM’s operations and Guidelines as well as giving an update about site-to-hospital transportation.

We state repeatedly in our communications materials that CHM isn’t a company, a business or a health insurance firm: it is a 501c3, non-profit health cost sharing ministry. The references in your message to a “company” indicates a possible misunderstanding of what CHM is, and what it does.

We ask all members to thoroughly review the ministry’s Guidelines before joining, review updates while members, and ask questions if there is anything about which they might have specific interest. We must abide by the CHM Guidelines that govern the ministry in order to act in fairness to all members. These Guidelines make certain that members can know what can, and cannot, be shared.

Guideline U discusses medical transport—listing what situations are and are not eligible for sharing. We clearly define these situations before and after joining.

The ministry’s Eligibility Review Board and leadership annually review the Guidelines for potential revision and changes. In Jan. 2021, CHM’s Guidelines were adapted to include sharing site-to-hospital transportation. However, such bills cannot be shared retroactively. More information can be found in Guideline U (chministries.org/guidelines).

Our history shows that CHM has a record of sharing 100 percent of eligible medical bills. However, we must authorize medical bills in accordance with the CHM Guidelines. In the ministry’s 40-year history, CHM has shared $6 billion in members’ medical bills.

We assure you that our passion is to share our members’ medical bills as soon and as efficiently as possible. We’re sorry you’ve decided to leave, and we wish you the best.

Blessings,

The CHM staff

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James Spieldenner
September 22, 2020 @ 04:00
5.0  

I am amazed to see the negative reviews because of my history and experience with CHM. I had been recommended CHM, from a friend and signed up in Jan of 2018. I was an extremely healthy 38 yr old that hadn’t so much as taken medications for more than a short cold or something small of nature. I signed up for the gold plan with Bros keeper. Thank God, I did. In July of 18 I was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer and given 6 mo to live. Needless to say I have beaten their first 2 death dates, but continue racking up bills for each month I continue to live. These guys have been incredible. Yes, it does take a lot of time, and that stinks and you gotta be good with paperwork and learn their system but once you do, my experience has been really, really good. They have kept me out of the poor house. They have basically paid 100% of my traditional bills…I definitely have a bunch more from nontraditional treatments, but I can understand those policies. The other experience I wanted to brag about was I talked my bro into signing up. He did, but he had traditional insurance that didn’t end until like the 20th of the month, so although he called to start a policy, by his direction he didn’t want to pill the money to ‘start’ the policy, until like the 24th or towards the end of the month. In the beginning of the month he was cutting a branch in his front yard and essentially pinned his foot to the ground, via a branch, as he fell from a decent height. They were so encouraging and actually said they were going to try and cover it, even though technically he didn’t have the coverage and it would have been easy for them to get out of it. The only negative is I wish they would help with ongoing prescriptions bc that is tough but I wouldn’t have been able to do the nontraditional if I was having to pay those costs and I think I wouldn’t be here, with out some of those treatments…So CHM has saved my life or at least helped me see more days. I definitely highly recommend it. Just be patient. And CHM, love you guys but get a little faster if you can and definitely listen to that woman that was leaving for lack of coverage with an assisted pregnancy. Cheers for all you are doing right.

I am amazed to see the negative reviews because of my history and experience with CHM. I had been recommended CHM, from a friend and signed up in Jan of 2018. I was an extremely healthy 38 yr old that hadn’t so much as taken medications for mor..
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Christian Healthcare Ministries
June 7, 2021 @ 20:46

Thank you for sharing your #IamCHM story and your feedback, James! It’s our honor to serve you.

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Colleen
September 16, 2020 @ 15:59
5.0  

Two years ago I had a hysterectomy that was botched by the surgeon. I ended up with two more surgeries within a week. I was life flighted to an other hospital. As you can imagine this was very costly. Christian healthcare ministries paid almost the entire bill. Iam very happy with them and their service.

Two years ago I had a hysterectomy that was botched by the surgeon. I ended up with two more surgeries within a week. I was life flighted to an other hospital. As you can imagine this was very costly. Christian healthcare ministries paid almost the e..
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Larry ONeal
September 11, 2020 @ 16:22
1.0  

Terrible experience. Very deceptive practices. Their auto drafting without permission got me good. While automatic debiting is legal, some firms are abusing the practice and victimizing consumers. Since this is a relatively new procedure, the laws are not always clear about what is legal.
Just because Christian is in the name doesn’t always mean Christian in business

Terrible experience. Very deceptive practices. Their auto drafting without permission got me good. While automatic debiting is legal, some firms are abusing the practice and victimizing consumers. Since this is a relatively new procedure, the laws ar..
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David S
August 5, 2020 @ 19:15
5.0  

Our family of 5 has been with Christian Healthcare Ministries for about 14 years. We had our three children using their services and have only good things to say. Their maternity program is excellent. When you have medical bills you simply need to negotiate the bills as ‘self pay’ and then you will be reimbursed that amount from CHM once it’s processed.

Our family of 5 has been with Christian Healthcare Ministries for about 14 years. We had our three children using their services and have only good things to say. Their maternity program is excellent. When you have medical bills you simply need to ne..
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Amy Kim
July 13, 2020 @ 13:39
4.0  

My husband and I have been members for 2 1/2 years and in that time have had 4 medical incidents we’ve needed to submit to CHM and they paid for each 100% so we’re very grateful. If we had been on my husband’s employee health insurance we would be paying more than double each month for premiums and nothing would be covered until we hit a $10k deductible so this DEFINITELY saves us money.
I agree that it took a few months to get the checks for our expenses but honestly that seems pretty par for the course in the medical world these days. Medical facilities often have to wait much longer than four months to get paid in full when they either have to get paid by the state or people are trying to pay large bills from high deductible plans so no one seemed to have a big problem with that. I agree it’s important to read their guidelines carefully. CHM is very different from an insurance company and you need to know what you’re getting into. My biggest frustration with cost sharing groups is that they don’t cover ongoing medication so we end up having to buy my asthma medicine from Canada because it’s too expensive here in this country. Other than that CHM has been a good experience for us for what it is.

My husband and I have been members for 2 1/2 years and in that time have had 4 medical incidents we’ve needed to submit to CHM and they paid for each 100% so we’re very grateful. If we had been on my husband’s employee health insurance we would..
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Emily Dunn
June 14, 2020 @ 19:46
1.0  

An open letter to Christian Healthcare Ministries:

Dear CHM Leadership,
I am sad to say that I am terminating my membership with Christian Healthcare Ministries effective immediately (May 2020). I have been a member for several years and have previously had nothing but glowing praise for CHM. This past year has been a difficult one for my husband and I as we have suffered through the trial of infertility. Understandably, CHM does not share the cost for any infertility diagnosis or treatment. Many other healthcare organizations do the same. This is not the reason for my termination of membership.

I am terminating my membership due to one glaring issue:

CHM does not share the expenses for ANY pregnancies resulting from embryo adoption (adoption!) or IVF.

I believe this is contrary to CHM’s mission to provide “affordable, biblical, and compassionate healthcare” for Christians. Unborn human life is precious, regardless of how it was conceived. I find it appalling that CHM does not provide support for all unborn children of its members. I have previously brought this concern to the attention of CHM leadership with minimal response. I am sharing this letter publicly in the hope that CHM’s policies will change to reflect truly pro-life values.

Sincerely,
Emily Dunn

An open letter to Christian Healthcare Ministries: Dear CHM Leadership, I am sad to say that I am terminating my membership with Christian Healthcare Ministries effective immediately (May 2020). I have been a member for several years and have previou..
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Robert
May 13, 2020 @ 23:55
1.0  

I absolutely do not recommend this plan to anyone. You will be left to fend for yourself as communication is terrible. It takes months for your case to be reviewed and it can be denied for payment. I had $15000 worth of bills and only $2000+- was approved for payment. I was left with no choice but to choose an Obamacare Plan. I paid my dues as required. I have prostate cancer.
Beware of any potential pre-exisiting conditions. If you had a cough a few years ago, it went away, and now you get a diagnosis of cancer or illness of any type, it can be considered pre-existing and there wont be anything you can do about it.
I believe in Christian healthshare type plans but I highly advise you stay away from Christian Healthshare Ministries. It is terrible. You can be denied for anything and there is no legal recourse. Just because its mentioned on the Dave Ramsey Show doesn’t mean anything. Terrible terrible experience. I will warn everyone I know to never use this plan. Don’t do it!

I absolutely do not recommend this plan to anyone. You will be left to fend for yourself as communication is terrible. It takes months for your case to be reviewed and it can be denied for payment. I had $15000 worth of bills and only $2000+- was app..
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JKG
May 4, 2020 @ 14:51
5.0  

We have Gold plan with Brother’s Keeper, and every claim has been covered, including pre-existing. We do budget to be able to cover costs upfront and wait for reimbursement, but that’s just how the process works. We knew that going in. I’ve been very pleased.

We have Gold plan with Brother’s Keeper, and every claim has been covered, including pre-existing. We do budget to be able to cover costs upfront and wait for reimbursement, but that’s just how the process works. We knew that going in. I&..
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Wancharida.Com
April 5, 2020 @ 20:59
0.0  

But the debate over consumer protections may disguise a more interesting question: Could this model scale up? These ministries seem to achieve a remarkable level of member satisfaction, even if they sometimes must portion out reimbursements when the bills outstrip monthly contributions.

But the debate over consumer protections may disguise a more interesting question: Could this model scale up? These ministries seem to achieve a remarkable level of member satisfaction, even if they sometimes must portion out reimbursements when the ..
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Clint Smith
March 27, 2020 @ 17:06
2.0  

I was under the impression that this was guaranteed coverage. Instead of helping us with our bills they kept saying it was applied to a deductible… I’m not sure what we will receive.

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Curtis Perrin
February 25, 2020 @ 21:00
1.0  

My wife is being denied coverage because her due date for our child is 9 days too early according to their policy. Instead of asking questions or having understanding they are shrugging shoulders and sending us on our way, all because of 9 days. That’s not what Christ would do, and sounds a whole lot like a typical insurance company.

My wife is being denied coverage because her due date for our child is 9 days too early according to their policy. Instead of asking questions or having understanding they are shrugging shoulders and sending us on our way, all because of 9 days. That..
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Asten
February 20, 2020 @ 14:08
1.0  

If I could leave zero stars I would! My family and I were gold members and paying CHM the highest level each month. I was in a UTV (side by side) wreck in October 2019. I separated my collar bone over 300% requiring surgery. I was required to pay nearly $10,000 upfront prior to surgery between the anesthesiology, facility cost, and surgeon cost. Christian Healthcare Ministries refused to assist with upfront costs then denied any payment or assistance of the total accident because I wasn’t wearing a helmet. Their guidelines state that a helmet is not required when in a “gator type vehicle”, which is what a UTV is! After using all of our savings and now resorting to health credit cards we are highly in debt, not including the thousands of dollars we paid CHM over the 2.5 years. We will never make this mistake again!!! Do not do it!

If I could leave zero stars I would! My family and I were gold members and paying CHM the highest level each month. I was in a UTV (side by side) wreck in October 2019. I separated my collar bone over 300% requiring surgery. I was required to pay nea..
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Arnie Sharp
February 6, 2020 @ 18:56
5.0  

Christian Healthcare Ministries is awesome! The monthly cost is FAR less than what we would pay for a typical insurance company. I broke my collar bone last fall and we received our first check back recently. Yes it takes a while but we knew that going in. They have been very clear with us about the process and we are pleased with the service we have received. I read some of the other reviews. People either didn’t do what they were supposed to or they did understand what they were getting. Yes, waiting 4 months to get our first check meant that we had to dig into our saving. However, we have saved soooo much money with CHM in the long run. Insurance companies don’t like companies like CHM because they know it’s a real threat to their business. Don’t listen to the negative reviews. Inform yourself. Know what you are getting into and follow the steps they give you. It’s actually pretty simple and far less expensive than regular health insurance.

Christian Healthcare Ministries is awesome! The monthly cost is FAR less than what we would pay for a typical insurance company. I broke my collar bone last fall and we received our first check back recently. Yes it takes a while but we knew that g..
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SHARI LAUDA
January 31, 2020 @ 19:25
1.0  

Never submitted a bill but tried to call near the end of January as I am approaching medicare age and wanted to know how that would work. The PHONES WERE DOWN? How can you run a healthcare business and not be answering your phone during open enrollment. When I joined 3 years ago, there were nothing but 5 star reviews online for CHM, now its only 3 stars. After a couple of negative yelp reviews (which are not even posted, I finally received a call. The woman said their phone system had too many calls and crashed (31k). I asked why they would not gear up and fix that prior to open enrollment. She was mostly rude and very condescending. I now see all the reviews of people waiting for payment or being told it’s not covered or months of processing reimbursements. I can not find a financial statement anywhere and the woman I spoke to said she would email me one but did not. I canceled my subscription today.

Never submitted a bill but tried to call near the end of January as I am approaching medicare age and wanted to know how that would work. The PHONES WERE DOWN? How can you run a healthcare business and not be answering your phone during open enroll..
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Valerie Whitmer-Hammond
January 31, 2020 @ 00:51
5.0  

i joined CHM a couple of years ago and did not need to file a claim until last fall. I had two claims back to back, one surgery and an eER visit for a totally separate illness. Filing the forms was a bit daunting the first time. I agree with some of the comments that communication could be better so at one point I made a call to CHM to check my status and everything was just fine. I knew going into this that reimbursement would not come for 120 days so I paid what had to be paid at the time of services rendered on my Care Credit card which has interest free payments for several months up to years depending on the amount charged. My emergency rooms bills were placed on monthly payments plans of $30 and $40. Today, just a couple of days after the 120 days were up I received two checks for the full amount of my medical needs. I am feeling very blessed and very happy with CHM.

i joined CHM a couple of years ago and did not need to file a claim until last fall. I had two claims back to back, one surgery and an eER visit for a totally separate illness. Filing the forms was a bit daunting the first time. I agree with some of ..
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Grant Kimber
January 28, 2020 @ 02:41
1.0  

I have been a member of CHM since January 1 of 2018. Set up my account so that they were paid automatically every month and never later. I am a Gold member and did not submit a bill to them for anything until July of 2019. My son had to have surgery on his stomach and the hospital wanted $4000.00 upfront before they would do the surgery, to make sure they would get paid. At the same time I had to have surgery on my neck for a Bulging disc. I waited for over three months working with the Hospital and CHM to get the operation preauthorized for payment. Meanwhile using all of my savings and credit card to continue paying for my sons operation while CHM worked on “processing” the bills. CHM called me and told me that they made arrangements with the hospital and doctors for my surgery. They agreed on a price and they would pay the day before the scheduled surgery on my neck. I had the surgery the end of September 2019. CHM paid for half of it and I am paying monthly payments while they “process” the rest of the bill. In December of 2018 we decided to go back to regular insurance even though it was more expensive because at least I would know what I had to pay. As it stands I am still paying monthly for my sons operation while they “process” the paperwork and I am making monthly payments on the rest of my surgery while the paperwork is being “processed”. So far I have been paid about 20% of what I have requested and submitted bills for. Even though I now have regular insurance I still have to pay CHM monthly for my boy and myself until all the bills are paid, or they will discontinue “processing” the paperwork and I will be out almost $7500.00. So far I am very unimpressed with the level of service and rate of repayment

I have been a member of CHM since January 1 of 2018. Set up my account so that they were paid automatically every month and never later. I am a Gold member and did not submit a bill to them for anything until July of 2019. My son had to have surge..
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Ryan
January 20, 2020 @ 20:43
1.0  

Christian Healthcare Ministries was the BIGGEST financial mistake we’ve ever made! I read everything I could and did all of my research. They don’t tell you that it takes 4 MONTHS to get reimbursed. And that’s only if you follow the instructions to the letter. Basically, we had to use ALL of our emergency fund PLUS more to pay the medical bills. Now we have to wait 4 MONTHS to get our money back. DO NOT USE Christian Healthcare Ministries. You will go into DEBT!

Christian Healthcare Ministries was the BIGGEST financial mistake we’ve ever made! I read everything I could and did all of my research. They don’t tell you that it takes 4 MONTHS to get reimbursed. And that’s only if you follow the..
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Charissa Tischhauser
January 13, 2020 @ 18:55
1.0  

I joined this service in March 2019. In December, I cancelled it. They verified the cancellation and gave me confirmation numbers. Told me the Jan 2020 payment would not be pulled from my bank account. It was. They refuse to refund me the $503.00 they have now stolen from my family. They refuse to listen to the recorded call. They keep saying that I didn’t give proper notice. They repeatedly refuse to listen to the call where I was told that it would not be taken from me. Beware! They say one thing and do another. No compassion or care. It was too good to be true.

I joined this service in March 2019. In December, I cancelled it. They verified the cancellation and gave me confirmation numbers. Told me the Jan 2020 payment would not be pulled from my bank account. It was. They refuse to refund me the $503.00 the..
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William Nash
January 9, 2020 @ 13:02
1.0  

Poor customer service. Slow for reimbursements and just about impossible dis-enroll. .

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healthshareu
December 17, 2019 @ 21:54
5.0  

We have been members of Chm for years and they have been such a blessing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJHbvw2z_kY

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Katie
November 13, 2019 @ 17:44
1.0  

Awful. I paid for the month of November and had a big mri done for my shoulder, and I needed to cancel in December to go on my husband’s work insurance. I paid $300 for my family to have services for the month of November and they wont cover ANYTHING because we have to leave in December. So what exactly did I pay for? Nothing! But dont worry they aren’t in the wrong because “it’s in their guidelines”. Such an awful company, and super unethical. They will just keep sucking you in because they are so behind on getting you reimbursed. Ridiculous. Definitely don’t seem Christian to me.

Awful. I paid for the month of November and had a big mri done for my shoulder, and I needed to cancel in December to go on my husband’s work insurance. I paid $300 for my family to have services for the month of November and they wont cover AN..
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David S
November 13, 2019 @ 17:20
5.0  

We have been using CHM for over 13 years. We have had our 3 children using their maternity coverage. We have had a great experience using CHM and recommend their coverage to anyone seeking alternative health insurance.
https://www.christianhealthcareministries-review.com

We have been using CHM for over 13 years. We have had our 3 children using their maternity coverage. We have had a great experience using CHM and recommend their coverage to anyone seeking alternative health insurance. https://www.christianhealthcare..
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Karen
November 12, 2019 @ 19:18
5.0  

CHM has saved us so much money. You have to know what you are getting into though. Money for claims are not sent to you for 4-4 1/2 months, so you have to work out a payment plan with your hospital or provider until you receive the funds from CHM. If you do have a surgery planned ahead of time, you can call and ask for approval to get the funds sooner (call in advance, not a couple of days before surgery). I had a very expensive bill that was going to go to collections prior to the 4 months, and CHM worked with me to get the payment a few weeks earlier. I’ve never had any trouble contacting them (I think their office is Eastern time so do take that in mind). Also, regular meds aren’t covered, only a discount plan is applied for meds unless the med is specifically related to a single incident (e.g. need pain pill for a broken shoulder). You just have to make sure you understand the nuances of the program, and if you do and follow them correctly, you can save thousands of dollars or more every year.

CHM has saved us so much money. You have to know what you are getting into though. Money for claims are not sent to you for 4-4 1/2 months, so you have to work out a payment plan with your hospital or provider until you receive the funds from CHM. If..
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Lisa Lahr
July 1, 2019 @ 15:13
3.0  

I am a gold member, I had surgery. it was confusing what was eligible and alot of paperwork to send in. I waited 4 months to get paid. however they did not reimburse me any medications or equipment??? the time frame is way too long. there is no communication from the time you submit your Bill’s till you get a check, so you dont know what to think. I am pleased that the majority was paid. for price it’s worth it just wish they had a better turn around and could communicate where it’s at. I paid alot of interest on credit card waiting.

I am a gold member, I had surgery. it was confusing what was eligible and alot of paperwork to send in. I waited 4 months to get paid. however they did not reimburse me any medications or equipment??? the time frame is way too long. there is no co..
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Mark
June 25, 2019 @ 19:59
1.0  

Horrible Company! Take your $ elsewhere. If you get traditional health insurance, they will cover nothing left outstanding from when you had coverage with them. They stop paying the day you end coverage. What is interesting it it took them MONTHS…I mean MONTHS to process any of our bills during the coverage period. All the while our bills went to collections left and right. Now….when we have traditional insurance…they state, it’s in our member policy we will not pay anything during your covered dates after your coverage. If CHM had paid on time to start, we would not be in this mess. They 100% practiced delay tactics. Excuses were given to us that they were understaffed. Now, we are literally left holding the bill. Do yourself a favor and avoid at all costs.

Horrible Company! Take your $ elsewhere. If you get traditional health insurance, they will cover nothing left outstanding from when you had coverage with them. They stop paying the day you end coverage. What is interesting it it took them MONTHSR..
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Isabella
June 10, 2019 @ 20:27
4.0  

Christian Healthcare Ministries paid quite a hefty hospital bill after I had obtained a 30% discount. I am in awe and overwhelmed with gratitude and appreciation. I highly recommend their services. They are very polite and prompt in communication. You do have to read the Guidelines and make sure you follow the rules and the process described.

Thank you so much, Christian Healthcare Ministries!

Christian Healthcare Ministries paid quite a hefty hospital bill after I had obtained a 30% discount. I am in awe and overwhelmed with gratitude and appreciation. I highly recommend their services. They are very polite and prompt in communication. Yo..
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Tricia Yarborough
June 7, 2019 @ 13:03
2.0  

My husband spent 3 days in the hospital, 2 in the neuro icu for a trauma induced intracranial hemorrhage. After 8 months, Christian Healthcare Ministries sent us a check for less than $400 to cover everything; that was it, even though we were enrolled in Brothers Keeper as well.
It’s a shame that consider themselves a Christian ministry, yet are so misleading.

My husband spent 3 days in the hospital, 2 in the neuro icu for a trauma induced intracranial hemorrhage. After 8 months, Christian Healthcare Ministries sent us a check for less than $400 to cover everything; that was it, even though we were enrolle..
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Amanda nelson
April 22, 2019 @ 21:15
2.0  

I am so disappointed in chm. I am a planner and planned all my financial before becoming pregnant. I had other insurance that would cover my maternity costs except for part of my midwife fees. I looked into chm to cover that 1500.00 portion and began paying the monthly silver fee since it says it covers midwife fees. I just submitted my claim and it was denied because they don’t cover the facility fee for midwives. It does not state this anywhere in their guidelines. It says midwife fees are covered. This fee is directly from the midwife and they charge it for in home births as well as birthing center births. Such a waste of 4 years of paying the extra cost so my midwife fees would be covered. They are not up front about this policy and it is such a disappointment. I will not recommend them to anyone again.

I am so disappointed in chm. I am a planner and planned all my financial before becoming pregnant. I had other insurance that would cover my maternity costs except for part of my midwife fees. I looked into chm to cover that 1500.00 portion and began..
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John Doe
February 5, 2019 @ 16:40
4.0  

Notified by health insurance carrier in summer 2013 that they were exiting this business due to Obamacare. Checked on other health insurance options and they were incredibly costly, much more than I could afford (and I make a very decent living). Did a lot of reading/analyzing on healthshare ministries. Started with CHM on 1/1/14.
Spouse had a minor injury from a fall in 2015. Bills were shared; process was a little confusing and reimbursement was in about 4-5 months.
Last year, spouse suffered a major heart attack…very significant expenses. Bills were shared; reimbursements about the same, in 4-5 months.
Some of my thoughts if you are considering Christian Healthshare Ministries (or similar organization)
*Much lower cost. For God’s sake, save the extra $ to pay your medical bills when you need care.
*If you have a concierge healthcare company available, consider joining there also. Even better, look for cash-friendly/self-pay friendly practices and switch to those, the more comprehensive the better (example..Surgery Center of Oklahoma or similar). Most medial practices/facilities are outright hostile (or at best, ambivalent) to self-pay persons.
*Becoming a self-pay person is a whole different ballgame. Expect to be treated terribly by most medical office staff. By this, I mean the care will be the same but the business office will absolutely gouge you on the cost. You must educate yourself on what the costs should be.
*Become a customer…shop around, ask questions, talk w/ business office before you go, talk w/ hospitals/facilities NOW before you have an emergency need, ask for better pricing then demand better pricing, never accept the price you are initially told, get past the person at the desk and speak with a decision-maker. Most medical business offices will treat a self-pay person as some sort of unknown alien being who speaks an entirely different language…be prepared for that. You have to remember that they don’t view you as the customer; their customer is the health insurance/government monstrosity. You’re just an unfortunate annoyance they have to deal with sometimes.
*To the extent you can, start setting aside as much cash as you can afford to pay medical bills. Every day bills are your responsibility; it is the unknown injury or illness the healthshare will help you with. YOU must be responsible, they are there to help you not do everything for you. When you get reimbursed, don’t spend it. Put it back in your medical account for the next time
Lots more I could say, but I will just make one more statement. I wish I had known about this healthshare ministry 20-30 years ago. I would have joined then and never dealt with the government-dominated health insurance industry. I would never consider buying regular health insurance again. In an odd, sort of backhanded way, I will say thanks to Obama for this.

Notified by health insurance carrier in summer 2013 that they were exiting this business due to Obamacare. Checked on other health insurance options and they were incredibly costly, much more than I could afford (and I make a very decent living). Did..
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Ray Holtzclaw
January 17, 2019 @ 20:55
2.0  

This so called Ministry is a joke. My wife had surgery in 2018 and was denied all coverage and sharing because she had a Pre-existing condition from over 30 yrs ago. If you want a company to take your money every month in the name of a ministry then sign right up. If you need help with what they call pre-existing no matter how long ago it was then look elsewhere. This is the kind of stuff that causes a division with Christians. I don’t mind them saying it isn’t covered under their normal plan, but not to let their members elect to help with something that could have easily been covered is just wrong. If no one wanted to help out that is fine, but at least give them a chance to say No on their on.

This so called Ministry is a joke. My wife had surgery in 2018 and was denied all coverage and sharing because she had a Pre-existing condition from over 30 yrs ago. If you want a company to take your money every month in the name of a ministry then ..
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ann marie mooney
January 14, 2019 @ 18:44
5.0  

We lost our obamacare subsidy when our young adult children found employment and obamacare looks at your household income. My premium went from $350 a month to $2000 a month so I had to start looking around. I purchased a short term policy from lifeshield/IBA/healthcare innovations/iquotes. I was lied to by the broker and mislead about pre existing conditions/policy terms/ and claims. Do not believe anything the iquotes broker tells you about the policy. The policy is useless. I did buy christian cost sharing as excess to cover any claim above $5000. CHM delivers unlike the short term carrier and its useless counterparts. It takes a little long to get reimbursed but they tell you that and they deal with you in good faith.

We lost our obamacare subsidy when our young adult children found employment and obamacare looks at your household income. My premium went from $350 a month to $2000 a month so I had to start looking around. I purchased a short term policy from lif..
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Josh
January 3, 2019 @ 00:00
3.0  

The price for CHM is good, especially for what they cover. The Gold plan with brothers keeper is the best “bang for the buck”. However, there is nothing specifically stating what is covered.

Also, we have submitted claims for pregnancy and the turn around time is ridiculous. We submitted bills in June and are still waiting to be paid. This is the second pregnancy we have had covered by CHM. I would say the average turn around time for claim payment is about 6-9 months.

The price for CHM is good, especially for what they cover. The Gold plan with brothers keeper is the best “bang for the buck”. However, there is nothing specifically stating what is covered. Also, we have submitted claims for pregnancy and the ..
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Corey
December 27, 2018 @ 20:43
4.0  

Amazing alternative to Heath Care!! I was on great Cigna insurance for several years but after leaving my job and becoming a stay at home mom we had to make some changes. My husband is self employed and we had few options. CHM is so much cheaper monthly and I am way more involved in my healthcare costs and decisions. We saved 1000s!! in real life. Our first baby cost more with my really good insurance that are recent one who was in the NICU for a week! We LOOOOVE them. Every time i call i get a real person or i get a call back from a real person within a day. They have tons of resources for members and i feel really supported. It takes time to get reimbursement, but every doctor, hospital, and lab I’ve worked with has payment plan options and ways to make it work for you. It takes some more work up front but you don’t go blindly into things as much. I feel like i have a lot more control with CHM. its worth learning about and i think worth switching.

Amazing alternative to Heath Care!! I was on great Cigna insurance for several years but after leaving my job and becoming a stay at home mom we had to make some changes. My husband is self employed and we had few options. CHM is so much cheaper mont..
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Jonathan Hartzler
December 11, 2018 @ 01:56
2.0  

Been with CHM for 4 years. Have only needed to get in contact with them once before now. Both times it has been nearly impossible to actually talk to someone. They have not returned calls. I just tried an online chat as well. Seems that does not work either. I would not recommend.

Been with CHM for 4 years. Have only needed to get in contact with them once before now. Both times it has been nearly impossible to actually talk to someone. They have not returned calls. I just tried an online chat as well. Seems that does not wor..
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Nicole Nolt
August 20, 2018 @ 20:29
1.0  

Dont go with this insurance company!!! They sent back the medical bills 3 months after they had received them only to tell us they wont cover because my husband is a tobacco user. The also call pregnancy a preexisting condition. My husband and I are Christians but we arent good enough to be covered by their plans.

Dont go with this insurance company!!! They sent back the medical bills 3 months after they had received them only to tell us they wont cover because my husband is a tobacco user. The also call pregnancy a preexisting condition. My husband and I are ..
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Bill Harrison
November 10, 2017 @ 12:18
5.0  

I have just joined Christian Healthcare Ministries and haven’t filed a claim. My big name insurer phased out my policy after 15 years. I did not compare sharing programs; they all seemed to provide the same services. On recommendation of Dave Ramsey (CHM has a sponsorship with his show and events) I emailed and promptly received a wealth of information. I was able to sign up and they received my first month’s share right away, so I was able to cancel my other policy right then. I am in good health, so I just needed to satisfy my responsibility to my family and the new healthcare law, and this does both. I have a direct-pay physician, and with both the payment to the doctor and to CHM, I am saving $360 per month which goes toward the deductible or toward “Brother’s Keeper” contributions. Open enrollment notices are going out, and CHM advised me to “do nothing”. So far, the step-by-step process could not have been easier. One caveat: CHM emphasizes the Christian part. They delve deeply into the philosophy of sharing others’ costs from a Biblical standpoint. I did not compare with secular sharing plans, nor with those of other faiths.

I have just joined Christian Healthcare Ministries and haven’t filed a claim. My big name insurer phased out my policy after 15 years. I did not compare sharing programs; they all seemed to provide the same services. On recommendation of Dave R..
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Brandon Hunnicutt
November 9, 2017 @ 21:01
4.0  

Overall our experience has been great. Been on it for about a year. We are in the process of dealing with our first major claim and still working through it. Luckily our hospital has dealt with CHM in the past and has had great interaction with them. We would definitely recommend them to others.

Overall our experience has been great. Been on it for about a year. We are in the process of dealing with our first major claim and still working through it. Luckily our hospital has dealt with CHM in the past and has had great interaction with th..
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