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In this post, I am going to do a comparison of Altrua Healthshare and Samaritan Ministries.
I will go over member responsibility amounts (what member’s pay before the community shares in any medical bills), monthly costs (this is dependent on age, individual/family memberships, and the Member Responsibility amount you choose), preventative sharing, pre-existing conditions, maternity, turnaround time to pay medical bills, and any special considerations to be aware of.
Member Responsibility Amounts
Altrua Healthshare Member Responsibility Amount (MRA): For the first MRA, it is $500 (Diamond Plan), $1000 (Emerald Plan), $1500 (Sapphire Plan), or $7500 (Ruby Plan). For the second MRA: If the member is on the Ruby Plan, the member is responsible for 50% of the next $10,000 per member ($5,000 maximum) if the licensed medical professional/facility is non-affiliated. If the member is on the Sapphire, Emerald, or Diamond Plan, the member is responsible for a maximum of $2,500 to the licensed medical professional/facility (maximum of $5,000 if Medicare Plus 25% isn’t accepted and licensed medical professional/facility is non-affiliated).
Samaritan Ministries Initual Unshareable Amount (IUA): The initial unshareable amount, or IUA, is the amount that a member will pay before Samaritan Ministries shares in medical expenses. Your IUA amount will depend on which program you decide to join. For the Samaritan Basic, your IUA amount is $1,500. For the Samaritan Classic, your IUA amount is $400. If you want to change your program, there is a $100 fee to do so.
Monthly Contribution Price Range
Altrua Healthshare: $105 to $900
Samaritan Ministries: $135 to $555
Statement of Faith
Altrua Healthshare:Must agree to a “Statement of Standards” – These are based on ethical and religious beliefs, including no sexual relations outside of marriage.
Samaritan Ministries: Must agree to their Statement of Faith. Must attend church regularly (3 out of every 4 weeks). Must have your pastor or Christian church leader sign a statement confirming that you meet their requirements.
Church denominations not allowed to join Samaritan Ministries: Church of Scientology, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Unitarianism.
For more detailed information on faith-based requirements, please read this post about Christian HealthShare Plans.
If you prefer a HealthShare that has no religious requirements, please read my post about Secular HealthShare Plans.
Preventative Sharing
Altrua Healthshare: Emerald and Diamond plans allow members to go to an annual wellness visit. Members would need to pay $35 and the visit is shareable up to $300.
Samaritan Ministries: Routine care (dental, vision, yearly wellness checks, colonoscopies, etc.) is generally not shared by Samaritan members. If a shareable condition is discovered because of a routine visit, those related medical expenses can be shared.
Pre-Existing Conditions
Altrua Healthshare: There is a 2-5 year waiting period, depending on what the pre-existing condition is.
Samaritan Ministries: Needs that result from a condition that existed prior to membership are only shareable if the condition has been symptom, treatment, and medication-free for 12 consecutive months. Some pre-existing conditions, such as cancer, heart conditions, and hereditary diseases, have a five-year period before they are eligible for sharing.
For more detailed information, please read my post about How The Top HealthShare’s Handle Pre-Existing Conditions.
Maternity
Altrua Healthshare: Members must be married in order to have maternity and newborn needs shared. The lower cost plans (Ruby and Sapphire) do not share in any maternity needs. Whether you are on the Emerald or Diamond plan, the member would need to pay a $5,000 member responsibility amount for maternity needs.
Samaritan Ministries: Maternity needs are shareable in Samaritan Classic provided there are at least two family members in the same membership program prior to conception. A maternity need will be shared at 100% after the IUA has been met and has a maximum shareable amount of $250,000.
Feel free to learn more at The Top HealthShare’s Maternity Benefits (Comparison Guide).
Turnaround Time for Paying Medical Bills
Altrua Healthshare: 30-45 business days
Samaritan Ministries: 60-90 days
Considerations
Altrua Healthshare: There is a lifetime limit of $2 million per member.
Samaritan Ministries: Samaritan Classic has a $250,000 maximum limit per medical need and the Samaritan Basic has a $236,500 maximum limit per medical need. If you want additional sharing available, you can pay extra to join the Save to Share™ program. In addition to the annual administrative share, each participating household must set aside funds that will be dedicated for use in the program. As of March 2021, the current annual household amount required to be set aside is $133 for one person, $266 for a two-person membership and single-parent family, and $399 for a three or more person family.
Which Health Share Plan Should You Join?
Choosing a Health Share plan is a very personal decision. Feel free to check out Altrua HealthShare Reviews and Samaritan Ministries Reviews. I provide a lot more information on each Health Share and you can read reviews from other members.
There are so many different Health Share plans to choose from, which is great, but it can also be overwhelming! To help narrow down your choices, I wrote an article on the Best Health Share Plans. You will find which health share plans I recommend to help you on your search for affordable healthcare.
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