Health care cost sharing ministries are programs that any mother should love. Caring for those who suffer ill health should take many forms including sharing the financial burdens. Our moms taught us to share our toys. The Bible teaches us to share with those in need. Cost sharing ministries like Samaritans and others (Medishare, Christian HealthCare Ministry, Liberty Share, ? ? ) provide a mechanism for thousands of families to share one another burdens.
What makes these ministries different than your typical insurance company? Three areas of differences from a patient perspective may be uncovered with a little comparative study. First, Simplicity. Their simplicity lies in their removal of the layers of complexity which make the normal health system so frustrating. Rather than tomes of rules operated by hordes of distantly located processors across countless offices determining how much or if a medical therapy will be covered, cost sharing offers simple rules, operated by fewer staff in one location, covering needs as they arise.
Second, Personal. From the midst of this simplicity, a personal touch is felt when those who need receive a check and note of encouragement from another member. A name means that someone knows of your need and cares. One patient even received a call from Samaritan staff offering to buy their daughter a pet during her medical challenges.
Third, Efficient. Simplicity allows cost sharing ministries to generally operate with lower overhead. With a single program administered consistently across the whole group, they can deliver reimbursement for health care costs efficiently and with more cost effectiveness.
These differences contribute to their success. Members in Samaritans enjoy the simplicity, the personal touch, and the efficiency. Success comes when Samaritan members receive reimbursement from other members that covers their health care needs…..
What makes one cost sharing program different from another? Three areas are noteworthy in distinguishing Samaritans from Medi-share from >>>>>> from >>>>>>. First, Who is covered. Each program sets guidelines on who can join its ranks. Some require a statement of faith. Some simply require a commitment of agreement to certain standards of belief and conduct. All enact some measure of restriction over pre-existing conditions.
Second, what is covered? Each one covers conventional medicine, what we all think of as the Western model of pharmaceutical and standard therapies. On the other hand, their coverage of ancillary or natural therapies varies from one to another. One must ask such questions before enrolling. Each ministry has a right to choose what they cover.
Third, how it is covered. While all these program are alternative to conventional insurance policies, some are more alternative than others. From both a patient and a physician viewpoint, Medi-share operates a little closer to an insurance company in having money flow through them rather than directly from one member to another. They also interact with doctors similar to insurance asking for contracted rates. They may even pay physicians directly rather than going through patients. On the other hand, Samaritan Ministries goes a step further and direct members to send payments directly to other members. Only once a year do members send a payment to the main office to cover overhead. Other programs operate to varying degrees similar to one or the other.
Why do patients like these options over traditional insurance? Initially health care insurance was designed for the big ticket items; surgeries, accidents, cancer, and other costly episodes of care. These were costs which most people could not prepare for financially. This could avoid bankruptcy. Later more and more aspects of health care were brought under the auspices of health insurance. Wage freezes during World War II expanded what services might be covered by this insurance. The complexity and the multiple layers of the system drove up costs over time.
Now our population finds that unless they are in a large business, they are often footing the bill for their monthly premium. Even when they can afford such a higher premium, they find themselves with high deductibles. They may be paying the first 15-20 thousand of their yearly health costs (monthly premium, plus the initial deductible cost before insurance begins covering their costs.
Patients find themselves unable to predict their coverage and paying more out of pocket. Many are choosing to see out of network physicians to save money. They spend a lot of time arguing with insurance companies or paying for the care they need.
Patients learn that they can get relatively large discounts when they pay cash instead of using their insurance. They realize that by working directly with a health care provider, both doctors and hospitals, they can negotiate better prices than they would have by going through insurance.
Patients choose these cost sharing ministries because they work. The patients sees a physician and pays for services They receive an invoice with details of visit costs. They fill a single page form and send the invoice and form to Samaritan. Soon after, other member mails checks to them which they received and deposit. Needed services are generally covered.
What’s next if you are interested? Look at each option carefully. Ask each for their information packet or link. Review and chart out the differences that matter to you. Talk to each one. Determine which one fits you or your family the best.
Sanctuary Functional Medicine, under the direction of Dr Eric Potter, IFMCP MD, provides functional medicine services to Nashville, Middle Tennessee and beyond. We frequently treat patients from Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, and more... offering the hope of healthier more abundant lives to those with chronic illness.
