Health Insurance Alternative - Christian Healthcare Ministries Review
This is my personal review of this program. For all current information, please refer to their website.
Written in 2022. Starting in 2023, some things have changed with their program that differ from what’s written here.
Since we’ve been married, over four years, we have been members of Christian Healthcare Ministries to use in place of our health insurance. Jarin works for a small company & I have always been self employed, so health insurance was never provided through our jobs, so we had to decide ourselves what to do. When pricing out health insurance options, I couldn’t believe how expensive they were, and how little they covered. I had heard of cost sharing, Christian programs before, but didn’t know anything about them. After looking into several of them, I decided Christian Healthcare Ministries was the best option for us, and honestly, I think it’s the best for most people!
After having our second child & having every bill completely paid for, I’m totally sold & recommend them to everybody! Between my two pregnancies, they’ve covered over $65,000 in bills!
What does it cost?
There are three different levels of coverage you can choose from ranging from $85-$205/month. We have the Gold Program, which is $205/unit a month at the time of writing this(June 2022). This level covers the most & is the level that completely covers maternity.
So, what exactly is a “unit”? A unit is each person, up to three units. So that means, once there’s more than three people in your family covered, the price stays the same! So right now, we’re a family of four, but pay the same we did when there were only three of us.
What does it cover?
This is where it kind of differs from traditional health insurance in terms of coverage. I’m going to speak to the Gold Level, because that’s what we have & what I would recommend. It covers all bills/incidents over $500 up to $125,000(without Brother’s Keeper). So everything under that, we just pay out of pocket. So urgent care/walk in appointments, kids well checks, etc. are all paid by us. I just ask for a cash or self pay discount & often we will get a 20%-30% discount.
After $500/incident, then you can submit your bills to be covered. Technically, you are responsible for the $500, but if you get a self pay discount like you should ask for, then that comes from your $500 first. So if you have a bill of $5,000 & get a 20% self pay discount of $1,000, that more than covers your $500 & you don’t have to pay a dime at the end!
The Gold level covers 100% of maternity & delivery as long as your due date is at least 300 days after you become a member. Everything from the appointments, ultrasounds, lab work, non-stress tests, a doctor or midwife to deliver, hospital charges, NICU stay, epidural, lactation consultation if necessary, the first three months of baby’s appointments, circumcision, and more if your pregnancy requires it.
To my knowledge, it does not cover birth control, fertility treatments, dental, vision, and some preexisting conditions. Visit their website for a full explanation & differences in coverage between levels.
Brother’s Keeper
On top of your level, you can also add “Brother’s Keeper” to it for $20/unit a month, which covers illnesses over $125,000 to an unlimited amount. This is totally optional & up to you!
What do you have to do?
You do have to do a tiny bit of the legwork though. You are the one submitting your bills instead of your doctor, & you pay out of pocket at first, then they will reimburse you. So at every appointment, I tell them I am self pay when they ask for insurance. Then when I pay, I ask for a self pay discount and also for an itemized bill or statement. Sometimes they have to have their biller mail or email it to you, and that works too.
Once you have the itemized bill, you go to your online portal & fill out a few forms, and then scan them in, along with the itemized bill, & submit them. I also like to keep track of the bills in a spreadsheet template they provide for you. You have 6 months to submit your bills for them to be shared.
What doctors & providers can you see?
Unlike traditional health insurance, you can see any doctor you want! You are the one submitting your bills, so you don’t have to choose certain doctors that work with your insurance. This gives you so many more options when it comes to your care!
How do you get reimbursed?
Within 90 days, you will get a check in the mail reimbursing you for the payments you’ve made.
Who can be a member?
Anyone who is a Christian, lives their life following the principles in the Bible, agrees to their Statement of Believes, & actively attends church, health permitting, can be a member!
I highly recommend looking into this if you are unhappy with your current health insurance or are looking for something new! I would recommend having at least a small savings that you can use to pay bills up front since you have to wait to be reimbursed, but otherwise, anyone should look into it!
If you do decide it’s the best option for you & you sign up, if you could put down my name, Morgan Price, and my membership number #428215 on your application, I would so appreciate it!