Health Insurance Alternative: Samaritan Ministries

Shortly after Katie was born, we made the decision to switch from a very pricey health insurance policy to Samaritan Ministries for our health coverage. Samaritan is a Christian health sharing ministry. The way it works is that everyone who joins is responsible for a monthly share (our share for a young family is $249/month). Each month, we get a newsletter in the mail with the name and address of the family our share is supposed to go to, along with information about the need they submitted.

Everyone who joins has to have a form signed by their pastor to certify they are regular attendees of church, and that they are not involved in sexual immorality, drunkenness, etc. Routine care (check ups, mammograms), medicines for chronic conditions (like asthma inhalers), and pre-existing conditions are not covered. And, abortions and birth control pills, patches, etc. aren't covered either. We love knowing our money is not going towards helping others disobey God's law. Other than those things, most medical expenses over $300 (their deductible) are covered.

Being as young as we are, we assume (Lord willing, of course) that for the next decade or so (and hopefully longer than that!), prenatal care/childbirth will probably be our greatest medical expense (we are hoping and praying for a house full of little Murches!). That being said, their excellent maternity coverage (far surpasses any health insurance policy I've seen!) was very attractive to us. After the $300 deductible, the rest of the pregnancy-related expenses are paid for in full. And, if you opt for a home birth, the $300 is waived. And, the price per month does not go up when you have more children.

While we have not yet had to submit any needs, I know of several folks who have had wonderful experiences with their needs being met. Kim from Life In A Shoe is one. You can see her post about it here. Another blogger you may be familiar with whose family has been blessed by Samaritan is Gretchen Acheson from Young Ladies Christian Fellowship. She talks about their experience in this post.

Our experience with Samaritan so far has been wonderful, and I would highly encourage you to look into it as a health care option for your family. If you go to their website and request it, they will send a packet of information free in the mail for you to review. While we have not been on the "receiving" end yet, it has been a great blessing to us to be able to bless others within the Body of Christ.

And, as a side note, Samaritan has a wonderful referral program, so if you do decide to become a part of Samaritan Ministries, please let them know I sent you. :)

This post linked to:

• Works for Me Wednesday
• Things I Love Thursday
• Frugal Friday