Is Samaritan Ministries Health Care Sharing Right for Your Family?

By Melissa Batai

One of the potential hassles of being a WAHM is health care insurance.  One options is to have your spouse add you and the children to his employer-sponsored health insurance plan.  However, this isn't an option for all working mothers.

If you're dismayed by the high cost of private health insurance and you're leery about the insurance provided under the Affordable Care Act, another option to consider is Samaritan Ministries.

What Is Samaritan Ministries?

Samaritan Ministries is a "Biblical, non-insurance approach to health care needs."  What's important to note right up front is that it's NOT health insurance.  Instead, you and your family pay a monthly "share".  That money goes to a Samaritan Ministries member who is in need of money to pay their medical bills.  (Samaritan Ministries will tell you which member to send your payment to every month.)

When your family is facing a medical bill, you enter your financial need to pay for it, and other members send their monthly premium to you.  Often, they often send cards and prayers.

You are responsible for paying medical bills under $300.  Those between $300 and $250,000 are paid by the group.

How Much Does It Cost?

Samaritan Ministries has a fixed rate for monthly "shares."  For instance, if you're a two-parent family, your monthly share is $370.  If you're a single-parent family, your share is $230.  There are also rates for singles, childless couples, and heads of household who are under 25.

Who Can Join?

Those who are Christians can join.  There is also an emphasis on caring for your body in a Biblical way by maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking, for instance.

Samaritan Ministries may not be for everyone.  However, they have 30,000 members and an available $7 million for needs. 

How Does This Work With Obamacare?

Obamacare requires every individual purchase health insurance or pay a penalty.  However, there is a provision that those who are members of a health care sharing ministry do not.  Therefore, if you belong to Samaritan Ministries, you are exempt from the Obamacare mandate.

If you're struggling to find affordable health insurance, another option to consider might be a company like Samaritan Ministries that offers health sharing instead.

Have you used Samaritan Ministries?  If so, what was your opinion?