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A really common question I get is: “Will my doctor take my health share?”
And the simple answer is: with most health share memberships, your doctor doesn’t need to “take” anything… because you’re not using insurance.
Most of the time, you can usually go to any doctor or medical provider you want because you’re treated as self-pay.
That means you show up as a cash-pay patient, you get your bill, and then you work with your health share on the backend.
Why this question trips people up
When we say “Will my doctor take it?” we’re thinking in insurance terms:
- “Are you in-network?”
- “Do you bill my plan directly?”
- “Will my provider accept my card?”
Health shares usually work differently.
In many cases, the provider’s office interacts with you like they would with any self-pay patient… and your health share membership steps in behind the scenes based on their member guidelines and eligibility rules.
What to say at the doctor’s office instead
If a front-desk person asks for your insurance card, you can say something simple like:
- “I’m self-pay.”
- “I don’t have insurance—can you give me the self-pay rate?”
- “Can I get a receipt and an itemized bill after the visit?”
That’s it.
My personal example (pediatrician visit)
Here’s a quick example.
When I took my kids to the pediatrician, they asked for my insurance card.
I told them I don’t have insurance and that I’m self-pay.
I paid for the appointment, and I asked for:
- a receipt, and
- an itemized bill
Then I submitted that to my health share, and they reimbursed me for the visit because it was an eligible sharing request.
My health share didn’t work with my doctor’s office. I worked with my health share on the backend.
To the pediatrician’s office, I was simply a self-pay patient.
How it works with bigger medical bills
For larger medical bills, it usually works in a similar way:
- You receive care as a self-pay patient.
- You pay your portion of the bill first.
- You submit whatever your health share requires (often the itemized bill, receipts, and sometimes other documents).
- They share according to their member guidelines.
Most of the time, that sharing amount is sent directly to you (the member) so you can take care of the bill.
Either way, the provider is working with you. They’re seeing you as self-pay.
Quick caveat: not every health share works the same
There are exceptions.
Some health share programs have a preferred provider network or fair-pricing rules they want you to follow.
For example, Medi-Share has said they want members to show the provider their member ID card so they can access certain discounted rates.
So don’t assume every health share works the exact same way.
Always check your program’s rules and read the member guidelines so you know what they expect.
The bottom line
Yes, you’re self-pay at the doctor’s office… but you’re not doing this alone.
You’ve got an entire health share community behind you to help support you when something bigger comes up.
Health shares are not insurance and do not offer insurance coverage. Membership in a health share does not guarantee the payment or reimbursement of medical expenses. Each organization operates under its own membership guidelines, which determine what expenses may be eligible for sharing. This publication is for informational purposes only and is not provided by an insurance company. For state-specific notices and full program details, please visit the respective health share’s official website.
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