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In this post, I am going to do a comparison of Christian Care Ministry (Medi-Share) and Zion Healthshare.
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), preventive sharing, pre-existing or pre-membership conditions, maternity, turnaround time to pay medical bills, and any special considerations to be aware of.
Member Responsibility Amounts
Christian Care Ministry (Medi-Share) Annual Household Portion (AHP): The Annual Household Portion (AHP) is the dollar amount that a Member Household agrees to pay toward Eligible Medical Bills before any eligible bills may be shared among the Members. The AHP amount resets every 12 months on the Effective Date. Christian Care Ministry (Medi-Share) has several AHP amounts: $3000, $6000, $9000, and $12000.
Zion HealthShare Initual Unshareable Amount (IUA): The initial unshareable amount, or IUA, is the amount that a member will pay before the Zion HealthShare community shares in medical expenses. The IUA is also known as your personal responsibility. Zion HealthShare has three primary levels of personal responsibility: $1,000, $2,500, and $5,000. The lower your personal responsibility (or IUA), the higher your monthly contribution will be.
All qualifying medical expenses submitted after the IUA is met are shareable with the Zion HealthShare community at one hundred percent. There is no annual or lifetime limit. For each separate sharing request, the Zion HealthShare community will share medical costs after the IUA is met. You will not need to pay the IUA for a single sharing request again until you are symptom free for 12 months. Additionally, you will not be responsible for more than three IUAs in a rolling 12-month period.
Monthly Contribution Price Range
Christian Care Ministry (Medi-Share): $96 to $1,472
Zion HealthShare: $111 to $856
Statement of Faith
Christian Care Ministry (Medi-Share): Must agree to their specific qualifications for a “Christian Testimony”. Not all Christian denominations will fit into these beliefs.
Zion HealthShare: None – They accept people of all faiths.
Preventive Sharing
Christian Care Ministry (Medi-Share): 1 routine physical (2 labs) per year. Must use the PCHS Network.
Zion HealthShare: Immediately after becoming a member, Zion HealthShare will share in Annual provider visits (not including lab work, unless it’s related to a specific medical sharing request). After six months of membership, they will share in colonoscopy, mammogram, and youth immunizations. There are no network limitations for preventive services, so you can go to any provider of your choice.
Pre-Existing or Pre-Membership Conditions
Christian Care Ministry (Medi-Share): After 3 years of membership, up to $300,000/year shareable and after 5 years of membership, up to $500,000 /year is shareable with the Health Share community.
Zion HealthShare: During the first year of membership, there is a waiting period for all pre-membership conditions. During the second year of membership, Zion HealthShare will share up to $25,000 for pre-membership conditions. During the third year of membership, they will share up to $50,000 for pre-membership conditions. During the fourth year of membership and beyond, they will share up to $125,000 per year for pre-membership conditions.
Maternity
Christian Care Ministry (Medi-Share): Members must be married in order to have maternity and newborn needs shared. Maternity medical expenses for newborns conceived outside of marriage are ineligible for sharing. Pregnancies resulting from rape reported to a law enforcement authority are the only exception. If members can show that they have an eligible maternity need, the member would need to pay their member responsibility amount.
Sharing is limited to $125,000 for any single pregnancy event, to include antepartum care, the cost of delivery and complications to the mother and/or child(ren) and postpartum care.
Zion HealthShare: Zion HealthShare has specific guidelines for maternity sharing to help members plan for pregnancy and delivery.
Initial Unshareable Amount (IUA):
$5,000 Household IUA → $5,000 Maternity IUA
$1,000 Household IUA → $2,500 Maternity IUA
$2,500 Household IUA → $2,500 Maternity IUA
Eligibility & Waiting Period:
- Conception must occur after 6 months of continuous membership (confirmed by medical records).
- Members must submit requests within 6 months of the first date of service.
- Members must submit bills within 6 months of service.
- Exception: memberships started before April 1, 2025, and employer group memberships are not subject to the 6-month waiting period.
To get more details, check out my full Zion HealthShare review.
Turnaround Time for Paying Medical Bills
Christian Care Ministry (Medi-Share): 30 business days
Zion HealthShare: 5-10 Business Days
Considerations
Christian Care Ministry (Medi-Share): There are so many programs and price points that it can become confusing on what is and isn’t shared with the community.
Zion HealthShare: Generally, there are no lifetime caps on your sharing requests (except with pre-membership conditions).
Which Health Should You Join?
Choosing a Health Share plan is a very personal decision. Feel free to check out Christian Care Ministry Reviews (Medi-Share Reviews) and Zion HealthShare 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.
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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