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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), preventative sharing, pre-existing 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 need, the Zion HealthShare community will share medical costs after the IUA is met. You will not need to pay the IUA for a single need 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): $81 to $1,229
Zion HealthShare: $103 to $790
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.
Preventative 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 need). 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 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-existing conditions. During the second year of membership, Zion HealthShare will share up to $25,000 for pre-existing conditions. During the third year of membership, they will share up to $50,000 for pre-existing conditions. During the fourth year of membership and beyond, they will share up to $125,000 per year for pre-existing 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: Members would just pay their Initial Unshareable Amount (IUA). This is the amount that the member chooses when they first join Zion HealthShare. If you opt for a home birth, you may submit a request to have your IUA responsibility waived by Zion HealthShare.
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 need requests (except with pre-existing conditions).
CASE STUDY: Comparing Costs of Medi-Share and Zion HealthShare
I am going to give several examples of potential costs for Medi-Share and Zion HealthShare. I am going to use Christian Care Ministry’s Medi-Share AHP 3000 Plan and Zion HealthShare’s Direct Membership Plan with the $1000 IUA since they are the most comparable. Both plans have a potential out-of-pocket amount of $3,000 in a 12 month period for larger unexpected medical bills.
Household: Single Individual
Age of oldest person in the family: 26 years old
Tobacco Use: None
Costs:
| Medi-Share AHP 3000 Plan | Zion HealthShare Direct Membership -$1000 IUA |
|---|---|
| $232.00 | $185.00 |
Household: Family (Married Couple with Children in the home)
Age of oldest person in the family: 39 years old
Tobacco Use: None
Costs:
| Medi-Share AHP 3000 Plan | Zion HealthShare Direct Membership – $1000 IUA |
|---|---|
| $748.00 | $570.00 |
Household: Family (Married Couple with Children in the home)
Age of oldest person in the family: 62 years old
Tobacco Use: None
Costs:
| Medi-Share AHP 3000 Plan | Zion HealthShare Direct Membership – $1000 IUA |
|---|---|
| $1,191.00 | $790.00 |
Which Health Share Plan 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.
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