One Alternative to Traditional Employee Health Insurance

When M was five weeks old, she ended up in the hospital with a fever.  It turned out she was just strep, but the bills were huge.  My husband’s company medical insurance was a huge blessing and since we’d met the deductible with her birth, we paid little to no money out of pocket.  

A year later, along came Obamacare.  Since it was now mandated that companies pay for hormonal birth control and the morning after pill, my husband’s and my consciences could no longer allow us to buy into his company’s insurance plan.  That left us searching for alternatives.  

What we found:

After sorting through the options (there are a few…not many, but a few…) we settled on Medi-Share.  It was the one that made the most sense for our family and also is set up most like “regular” health insurance.  The way it works is this.  Each month, we send in our “share” (premium).  When a “need” (claim) arises, it is first adjusted down just like traditional insurance would adjust it.  If the Annual Household Portion (deductible) hasn’t been met, we (the member) pay the remaining amount.  If the AHP has been met, Medi-Share pays for it with the shares that have been sent in during the previous months.  Sound just like traditional insurance?  Well, it pretty much is.

What we don’t like:

I thought I’d list what we don’t like first since there really isn’t much.

• There are no guarantees.  This isn’t “insurance”.  If the money isn’t there, the need can’t be met.  That said, our needs have all been met.  If they come up short one month, they send out an email saying how short they are and asking for contributions.  For as long as we’ve been members, those extra contributions have always come in.  I really look at this as a faith thing.  This is a Christian organization and each member is stepping out in faith trusting God to fill in the missing pieces.  

What we like: 

• You aren’t paying for bad habits.  Because the Bible teaches that our bodies are temples, Medi-Share does not allow people who smoke, drink a lot, or do drugs.  When we signed up, Brian and I both had to sign a form saying that we’d report each other if one of us broke the rules.
• Pregnancy is supported.  Married pregnancies are covered by health sharing.  Unmarried pregnancies aren’t paid for, but members are directed to resources for unwed mothers.  They receive lots of support and love.  Abortion is not paid for.
• Prayer is commonplace.  When you call customer support or talk to anyone from Medi-Share for any reason, they always end the phone call with a prayer.  They ask how they can pray for you and then they do.  It’s amazingly different than a phone call to a traditional health insurance company.
• They ask you to be in prayer.  Each month, you receive an email with the name of the person your share helped support.  Though there is no private information shared, they ask you to pray for that person.  There is also a place on the member’s website where you can post specific prayer requests and other members can pray for you.
• It’s worked for us!  The adjustments have been just as significant as “regular” insurance adjustments would have been and we’ve had no trouble making payments and receiving support.
• The cost is reasonable.  It was more expensive than what we paid before Obamacare, but I’ve heard it’s less expensive than what insurance costs most families now that Obamacare is in place.

Want to join?

I’d love it if you use my referral link to sign up!  It seems confusing, but it’s really not…at least not any more confusing than traditional insurance!  And calling customer service for help understanding things usually ends up being a blessing…not a headache!

I hope this has helped you.  Tell me, do you use an alternative to traditional health insurance?