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If you are looking for information and reviews about Samaritan Ministries, you have come to the right place.
Already a member? You are welcome to share your experience by leaving a review below.
In this summary of Samaritan Ministries, I will walk through the most important details. These include member responsibility amounts, monthly costs, preventative sharing, pre-existing conditions, maternity benefits, turnaround time, and other factors to consider before joining.
For yoru convenience, here is the Samaritan Ministries Member Guidelines for you to review.
About Samaritan Ministries
Samaritan Ministries is a Biblical, Christian-based alternative to health insurance. It is not insurance. Instead, members share one another’s eligible medical needs directly.
Unlike traditional systems, this ministry emphasizes personal connection. Members offer prayer, encouragement, and financial support during times of need. Because of this, many people appreciate the community-centered experience.
How Samaritan Ministries Differs From Traditional Health Insurance
Samaritan Ministries does not operate as a health insurance company. However, many members prefer the differences. For example, the program offers simplicity, flexibility, and freedom from network restrictions.
Additionally, members can choose any doctor, hospital, or pharmacy. As a result, the experience can feel more personal and less limiting than traditional insurance.
How Samaritan Ministries Works
Each household has a monthly share amount. This amount is sent directly to other members with approved medical needs. When you experience a medical need of your own, the community shares your eligible expenses as well.
In addition, Samaritan Ministries coordinates the entire process so members know who to send their shares to each month.
Membership Options
Samaritan Ministries offers two programs: Classic and Basic. Medical bills related to the same diagnosis are grouped together and shared as one “need.”
Samaritan Classic Plan
- $400 Initial Unshareable Amount (IUA) before sharing begins
- 100% sharing on eligible amounts above the IUA
- Maternity Sharing: Up to $250,000 unless participating in Save to Share™
- Maximum per need: $250,000
Additionally, members can join Save to Share™ for catastrophic protection above the $250,000 limit.
Samaritan Basic Plan
- $1,500 IUA (can be reduced with discounts)
- 90% sharing percentage above the IUA, up to a $13,500 co-share cap
- Maternity Sharing: $5,000 limit
- Maximum per need: $236,500
Save to Share™ is also available for Basic members who want extra protection.
ACA Compliance
Members of health care sharing ministries are exempt from the federal ACA requirement. This exemption also applies in California, DC, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Rhode Island.
Cost of Samaritan Ministries
Monthly contributions range from $99 to $682, depending on plan type, age, and household size.
When a medical event occurs, members must first pay their IUA.
What Is the Initial Unshareable Amount?
The IUA is the amount a member pays before sharing begins.
- Classic: $400
- Basic: $1,500
There is a $100 fee if you switch programs.
Requirements to Join
Because Samaritan Ministries is a Christian organization, applicants must agree to:
- The Statement of Faith
- The Membership Agreement
- Regular church attendance (3 out of 4 weeks)
- Annual pastor/church leader verification
However, not all denominations qualify. For example, the Church of Scientology, LDS, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Unitarianism are excluded.
Preventative Sharing
Routine care is not shareable, including:
- Dental
- Vision
- Annual wellness visits
- Routine screenings
Even so, if a routine visit uncovers a shareable condition, related expenses may be eligible.
Pre-Existing Conditions
Samaritan Ministries has strict rules for pre-existing conditions. A condition must be symptom-free, treatment-free, and medication-free for 12 consecutive months to be shareable.
Furthermore, certain conditions—like cancer or hereditary diseases—have a five-year waiting period. Therefore, anyone with a chronic condition should review the guidelines carefully.
Maternity Benefits
To receive maternity sharing, members must:
- Already be enrolled before conception
- Hold a two-person membership
- Be married, according to their Biblical marriage definition
The Classic plan shares up to $250,000 per maternity need.
The Basic plan shares up to $5,000.
Caps and Limitations
- Classic: $250,000 per medical need
- Basic: $236,500 per need
Members who want higher protection may enroll in Save to Share™, which adds sharing for large, catastrophic events. Additionally, households must set aside annual funds ($133–$399 depending on family size).
How Members Pay Medical Bills
The sharing process is simple:
- Needs assigned — you receive the name of a member with a need
- Send your share with an optional note of encouragement
- Mark as sent in the online dashboard
- Pray for the member in need
Because of this approach, the system relies on timely participation from other households.
Turnaround Time
Most eligible needs are shared within 60–90 days. Large medical needs can take longer, since many households must send shares individually. As a result, members should expect some waiting time.
Important Considerations
Samaritan Ministries is not insurance. It is based on Christian values and lifestyle standards. Therefore, medical expenses that fall outside of those standards may not be eligible for sharing.
Although many families appreciate the community, it is important to review all requirements before joining.
Do I Recommend Samaritan Ministries?
Health care sharing can be a helpful and more affordable option for many families. But each program is different.
If you want to compare Samaritan Ministries to other options, check out my article on the Best Health Shares. It outlines the programs I recommend and why.
Write a Samaritan Ministries Review
Are you a current or former member of Samaritan Ministries? If you have any experience with Samaritan Ministries, please write a review!
Reading other people’s Health Share experiences is a huge when trying to make a decision about which Health Share to join. In fact, over 90% of people will read online reviews before they buy a product or service! Please consider writing a review!
Wonderful to work with
We have been with Samaritan for many years. We have only needed to submit a couple needs in all of that time but were very pleased with Samaritan. We are both older and on Medicare now and cannot afford to pay for Medicare and also Samaritan so we are closing our membership with Samaritan.
We can highly recommend Samaritan Ministries!
It’s been great
One slight downside which they are very upfront about is that you depend on others to send you money. That can be hard to track. But I don’t think it takes away from the ministry because well it is a ministry. It builds community. And it doesn’t pretend to be insurance. It’s real people supporting real people.
Otherwise it’s excellent. Customer service is always incredibly polite and caring and informed. When there’s a miscommunication, no one points the finger at you or accuses you of not sending your share: issues are resolved in a way that always gives you the benefit of the doubt.
The price is great for a family, though it could be a lot on an individual. And I’ve saved so much money just by using their free blue book service. I couldn’t believe how different prices can be at different providers. For example, I paid 150$ for diagnostic imaging at a university imaging center after getting quoted over 600$ at my local Christian hospital. Without Bluebook I would have had to pay the whole unshareable amount (400) and then take funds from someone else to cover the rest.
The ministry teaches you how to be considerate of others, exposes you to the real life needs in our community, and takes care of you when you need it.
Samaritan Ministries is an excellent alternative for Christians whom understand and support how it works
This cost sharing ministry is run faithfully by an administrative organization that is honest and guided by holy scripture. Our serious medical need involved a brain aneurysm, a big deal, and a large medical expense. God saved our family member from suffering, with a full recovery – Praise Jesus. In all – the medical cost was covered and paid for by faithful members – along with notes of encouragement and blessings for complete recovery. We received payments directly from fellow members – so Samaritan Ministries is not holding millions of dollars like some other cost sharing organizations that have made headlines for embezzlement (I’ll refrain from calling them “ministries” ). What I experienced first hand is what I was completely prepared for from Samaritan Ministries guidance all along. I took responsibility and the time to follow the guidelines, ensure I was getting all available discounts for self pay, used SM resources for searching out reasonable cost labs and specialists, basically taking an active role in managing the cost of the medical need to the best of my reasonable ability. Kind of like what you do for other expenses in life. That’s not for everyone – and most of the complaints I’ve read really center around people for a variety of reasons, not taking on self responsibility to follow the protocol as clearly provided by Samaritan Ministries. It is disappointing to read disparaging remarks from those in the faith criticizing Samaritan Ministries administration for what, following the rules of the program? I don’t think so for the most part – wellness checks like colonoscopy’s, momograms, pap smears, physicals, etc.., are simply not covered. This program is for unplanned medical needs as the result of sickness or accident. And, SM administration has every obligation and right to trust and verify that monies received from members is indeed being used to expediently pay off the medical expense by contacting medical providers directly – it is not intended for any other purpose – why anyone complains about this is baffling unless there is something going on that should not be going on. Again – it is not your money. Not getting your “payments” fast enough? Every medical provider offers generous no interest payment plans and will happily work with a patient to stretch out a bill over several months, or years in the case of a hospital or surgery. Waiting 3-4 months to receive your complete allocation of shares from other members is never a problem – be factual, there is no need to launch untruths about how slow the process is. It is not. Receiving lots of checks or electronic payments directly from members being a big bother – really?? How about the sincere prayerful notes that often accompany these “payments”. If you’re the type of person or family that wants nothing to do with self managing your medical cost in time of need, nor the time or organizational skills to deposit payments (shares) from other members, or paying your providers as early as possible, and would rather look to a 3rd party for this administration, then conventional insurance is more appropriate for you. But be forewarned that ACA healthcare insurance cost for those of us self employed is 4 to 5 times the yearly share allocations through Samaritan Ministries. Healthcare premiums through ACA providers is a huge out of pocket cost- and for what, high deductible plans that what, don’t cover routine wellness exams! You can not have the best of both worlds – but why unjustly issue complaints about a program you really don’t understand? I think we can all agree that the cost of medical services is unbounded and frankly, out of control. I have many examples, even an 11 mile ambulance ride is nearly $2000. Yeah – unbelievable – no sense of reality when it comes to medical cost.
Not a great experience
Staff wasn’t supportive during some of the most challenging medical traumas of my family’s lives. To much is put in the member to manage large medical needs, during a time of crisis and heartbreak, you shouldn’t have to track down medical bills, negotiate with providers for discounts, and rely on other members to send you shares. I am happy to be moving in from Samaritan and using actual insurance for my family.
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.
