I just heard an advert on the radio about a health plan for Christians called Medi-Share that not only helps out with expenses, but also prays for you. I went to this website about Medi-Share(Affordable, Biblical Healthcare), and some things stand out to me:
The lack of privacy. It says that members pray for and encourage each other. Also
Whether or not your bills get paid, what you are covered for-that is determined by fellow Christians determining if what you want is righteous or not:
How do they determine if you are Christian enough for them, and are they allowed to kick out people not of their religious persuasion(whatever THAT may be)?
As far as health insurance plans go, how legit is this?
IANAL, but my understanding is that MediShare isn’t insurance - in fact, goes well out of its way to say that it is not insurance, and that it doesn’t fit the legal criteria/requirements for insurance - but rather, that it’s more akin to a voluntary crowdfunding GoFundMe thing where people voluntarily chip in money to cover other people’s expenses, and your own medical bills *might *be covered.
They do advertise themselves on the radio as a “Health Care Plan”, though. I can see how people can easily think it is equivalent to the others being offered out there.
edited to add:
The problem I see is that they are advertising this just days before the December 15th cutoff, and people that think they will be able to get this because they think themselves to be Christian will be stuck without insurance when this organization judges them not to be Christian enough.
When you get to the website that contains the guideline, it looks like the Christian beliefs section alone may not be compatible with some Christian beliefs:
The other guidelines are just as stringent, if not moreso, and to top it all off " A church leader may be interviewed to verify their testimony."
It looks like there are provisions for this type of religious cost-sharing program, but you have to already be a member to be exempt from the ACA, and these ads are running now with the cutoff date only three days away.
For what it’s worth, this is how the Amish approach medical “insurance.” They are exempt from the rules of the ACA and do not face a fine for not participating.
I jumped in on Liberty Health Share after the Obamacrap insurance raised my rates 60% over last year for a policy we’ve never used and that wouldn’t provide anything with $6500 deductibles per person being reached. I may not be much of a believer in God, but I like the mission of the group. If someone wants to pray for me and it makes them feel better that’s fine. There are guidelines but my wife and I live a “clean” life by their standards and have no preexisting conditions.
I’m glad it exists. Lower payments, lower deductibles, and I feel like my money actually goes to people needing it, not just some company.
How do these share schemes avoid getting billed the ridiculous inflated “rack rate” medical bills that providers issue to self-pay patients, that are multiples of the pre-negotiated rates that insurance companies pay?
I’m not sure if I want people who have never met me decide whether I am Christian enough and/or my medical problem is righteous enough to receive their money.
@Riemann - From what I read they negotiate just like insurance companies and go for discounts because you’re essentially a cash payer. If nothing else, once you’ve done whatever procedure they want to get paid, and they know they have to deal with this company or go after you, so they play ball.
The Constitution tells us we have the freedom of assembly. Do we not have the freedom of non-assembly?
If you think Medi-Share is unfair, you don’t have to be a member. If you don’t share the Christian beliefs of the group, then find another provider. Medi-Share is not a business, but a ministry.
At what point did it become reasonable to join a group when you disagree with the group’s purpose and expect to be able to force the group to change its mission and purpose?
There are many stories of a student joining a Christian ministry at a university and then trying to force the group to change its Biblical foundation so this person can take a leadership role. The person doesn’t believe what the ministry says the Bible states about marriage and sexuality. If you don’t agree, why join at all, except to force your worldview on others? And yet that is what Christians are accused of all the time.
They are accused of that because that is the direct goal of some Christian sects. What disturbs me is that this right to drop out and organize a private health group seems to be limited to religious groups. If I and my friends want to do the same thing and drop out of the system, minus the religious aspect, can we do so?
edited to add: Does this “right of non-assembly”, when it comes to the ACA, extend to those who aren’t religious?