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In this post, I am going to do a comparison of Samaritan Ministries and Sedera.
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
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.
Sedera Initial Unshareable Amount (IUA): The Initial Unshareable Amount (commonly known as the “IUA”), is the amount the member would need to pay before the HealthShare will “share” in any medical expenses. Sedera has five IUA amounts to choose from: $500, $1000, $1500, $2500, and $5000.
Monthly Contribution Price Range
Samaritan Ministries: $135 to $555
Sedera: $113 to $1,713
Statement of Faith
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.
Sedera: None – They accept people of all faiths.
For more detailed information on faith-based requirements, please read this post about Christian Health Share Plans.
If you prefer a HealthShare that has no religious requirements, please read my post about Non-Religious Health Share Plans.
Preventative Sharing
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.
Sedera: Routine childhood immunizations are shareable. Diagnostic colonoscopies and Diagnostic mammograms are shareable after an IUA is paid – some restrictions may apply (age, need, reasonable cost, etc).
Pre-Existing Conditions
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.
Sedera: 1 year waiting period (nothing shareable related to the pre-existing condition, up to $15,000 shareable after the first year, up to $30,000 shareable after the second year, and fully shareable after the third year.
For more detailed information, please read my post about How The Top HealthShare’s Handle Pre-Existing Conditions.
Maternity
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.
Sedera: Medical expenses for childbirth that have an expected delivery date within the first 12 months of membership are not shareable. Normal vaginal deliveries and emergency Cesarean section deliveries have a total Initial Unshareable Amount (IUA) of $5,000. Non-emergency/elective Cesarean section deliveries have a total IUA of $7,500. The standard IUA levels of $500 – $5,000 do not apply for Maternity Needs.
Feel free to learn more at The Top HealthShare’s Maternity Benefits (Comparison Guide).
Turnaround Time for Paying Medical Bills
Samaritan Ministries: 60-90 days
Sedera: 30-60 days
Considerations
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.
Sedera: No single need may consume more than one third of the total number of shares available in a given month. This can result in a medical need being capped, but it is at an unknown amount since it is dependent on how many people contribute each month. Also, members are Required to join with an association, company or other grouped billing.
Which Health Share Plan Should You Join?
Choosing a Health Share plan is a very personal decision. Feel free to check out Samaritan Ministries Reviews and Sedera 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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