We place both sharing memberships and insurance policies, so we have no particular stake in which you pick. What follows is what the guidelines actually say.

The ministry answers this itself

Medi-Share's own program guidelines are unusually direct. They state that Medi-Share is not insurance, that neither Christian Care Ministry nor other members guarantee or are liable for payment of a member's medical bill, and that no member can be compelled to contribute.

They go further, saying that payment of your medical bills through Medi-Share is not guaranteed in any way, that there is no transfer of risk for any purpose, and that there is no contract of indemnity between the ministry and a member or between members themselves.

That is a clearer disclosure than most products manage, and it is the reason we point clients at how sharing ministries compare to insurance before they decide. It is also a materially different promise from an insurance policy, which is a contract obliging a regulated company to pay.

What regulation would otherwise provide

Because sharing ministries are generally exempt from state insurance regulation, the machinery that sits behind a policy is absent. There is usually no state insurance department that will accept a complaint, no statutory external review, and no guaranty association standing behind obligations if the organisation fails.

The guidelines note the ministry is not subject to the regulatory requirements or consumer protections of your state's insurance code. Recourse on a declined request is the ministry's own internal process.

The annual household portion

Published levels are $3,000, $6,000, $9,000 and $12,000, and the amount your household pays resets to $0 every time you change level. A co-share option at 30% existed for members who elected it before May 2024 and is closed to new members.

Separately, a provider fee applies to every office, hospital and emergency room visit. It never counts toward the annual portion and continues to apply after the portion has been met. We go through the arithmetic in what an annual household portion is.

There is a network, and leaving it is expensive

Medi-Share uses a preferred provider network and members are told to present an ID card before services or the discount may not be honoured. Outside that network, members are responsible for amounts above 150% of the Medicare allowable rate for professional services, 200% for facility charges, and 250% for anesthesia.

Separately, charges above 200% of Medicare for professional services and 300% for facility bills are treated as excessive and are not shared at all, as are after-hours, holiday and weekend fees that are not CMS approved.

Membership carries conditions a policy does not

Members agree to a statement of faith and to a Christian lifestyle. Tobacco in any form, including e-cigarettes, vaping and nicotine replacement, can lead to non-sharing or cancellation of membership, as can illegal drug use, abuse of alcohol or prescription drugs, and sexual relations outside Biblical Christian marriage.

A health incentive discount is available, and the guidelines state it may be revoked if a lifestyle-related condition such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol or fatty liver is discovered during the incentive period. Significant weight gain requires participation as a Health Partner. An insurance policy cannot be cancelled for a change in your health.

Eligibility is decided after the fact

The guidelines state that eligibility of a medical bill is determined after services are rendered, and that medical records from the 36 months before membership may be required. If access to those records is refused, the bill cannot be shared.

Sharing during a first month of membership is capped at $50,000, and bills must reach the ministry within 12 months of the date of service to be considered at all.

The rules can change while you are a member

One provision deserves particular attention. The guidelines current at the time of service govern the program, not the guidelines in effect when a member joined.

Changes are made by member ballot requiring 67% approval, by a steering committee, or by the board. That is a genuinely democratic structure, and it also means the terms you agreed to are not fixed in the way policy terms are.

What members actually experience

It is worth saying plainly that a great many members are satisfied. Bills get shared, the community aspect is real, and people value knowing their contribution went to an identifiable family rather than into an insurer's reserves.

The structure described above is not a prediction that something will go wrong. It is a description of what stands behind the promise, which matters only in the cases where it is tested. For most members in most years, it never is.

It is also worth understanding where the money comes from. An insurer holds reserves it is legally required to maintain, sized against expected claims and examined by the state. A sharing ministry distributes what members contribute in a given month, and the guidelines are explicit that shared bills are paid from voluntary member contributions rather than from ministry funds.

The model works while contributions exceed needs. It is more exposed if a large number of substantial needs arrive at once or if membership falls. Neither is a criticism; it is simply where the money comes from.

Questions worth asking before joining

Ask what proportion of submitted needs were shared in full last year and whether that figure is published. Ask who reviews a declined request and whether anyone outside the organisation is involved. Ask what happens to a bill while a review is underway.

Ask how the annual portion has moved over the last three years, because contributions and portions have generally risen rather than fallen. An organisation confident in its answers will give all four without difficulty, and we go through the same list in what happens if a sharing request is declined.

How The Jordan Insurance Agency helps

We are an independent agency based in Charlotte, licensed in 23 states, and we have helped families choose coverage since 2006. Their own guidelines encourage members to seek the advice of a health insurance professional to understand the difference, and we think that is good advice.

Do you mind if we take a look together? Our licensed agents will show you plainly which parts of what you hold are guaranteed in writing and which depend on goodwill, whichever route you choose.

Benefit amounts and premiums shown are examples drawn from published plan schedules. Actual amounts vary by plan design, benefit level, age and state. Higher designs are available: daily hospital and intensive care benefits can be issued as high as $10,000 a day, ground ambulance up to $3,000 per transport, and calendar-year and lifetime maximums up to unlimited. Ask us what your own schedule would pay. Statements about Medi-Share on this page are drawn from the program guidelines published by Christian Care Ministry. Guidelines are amended periodically and the version current at the time of service governs, so confirm the current text before relying on any detail here.