Non-Religious Health Share Plans

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If you are looking for non religious health sharing plans, you have come to the right place!

When people first hear about Health Shares, they get excited about the idea of saving money and having a better health care experience. But most health sharing plans are faith based, and have strict requirements in order to join them.

So what if you’re not religious or a member of a specific faith? What if you are spiritual or religious, but you still don’t qualify for any of the faith based Health Share plans?

Can you still join a Health Share and enjoy its many benefits? Absolutely, yes!

There are many health share plans to choose from, including non religious health share plans, so continue reading to find the right health sharing program for you!

What is a Non Religious Health Share?

A non religious health sharing plan is a non profit organization that provides an organized way for members to share in one another’s medical burdens. The non religious health share plans are sometimes referred to as “medical cost sharing”, since they are just a non religious health sharing plan and not a health care sharing ministry.

There are two non religious Health Sharing organizations: Zion HealthShare and Sedera.

Both Health Share communities have like-minded members that are proactive about living a healthy lifestyle and want to share in one another’s medical expenses through the HealthShare. They accept members of all faiths.

How is this different from Healthcare Sharing Ministries (HCSM)?

Most people are familiar with a health care sharing plan, also known as a “ministry. These are faith based organizations where members of the same faith or religious beliefs come together to pay in each other’s medical costs.

A few examples of Healthcare Sharing Ministries would be: Altrua HealthShare, Christian Care Ministry (Medi-Share), Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM), Liberty HealthShare, and Samaritan Ministries.

This means members are required to accept and live by certain religious standards in order to join and for their health care needs to be eligible for sharing. For example, some Health Sharing Ministries, like Medi-Share or Samaritan Ministries, will only share in maternity needs if the woman is married.

Be sure to read through the member guidelines to understand what will be shared with you and other members of the Health Share you decide to join.

Health Sharing Programs versus Traditional Health Insurance

First, it’s important to remember that a Health Share plan is not Health Insurance.

Here are some of the main differences between Health Share Plans and traditional Health Insurance plans: 

• Health Share plans are typically designed for large and unexpected medical needs.
• Health Share Plans are not required to share in Minimum Essential Coverage benefits. Keep in mind that many Health Share plans do share in some preventative healthcare, such as annual wellness visits.
• Each Health Share organization decides on which medical expenses are shared with the community, and how the medical bills are paid. 
• Each Health Share chooses who can join their community, based on similar beliefs or ideologies. 
• There are usually restrictions or waiting periods for pre-existing conditions.

Is this Compliant with the Affordable Care Act?

Since 2019, you are not required to obtain Minimum Essential Coverage under the Affordable Care Act and you will not be penalized for failing to purchase traditional health insurance. This means that for most Americans, you can join any Health Share Plan, whether they are ACA Compliant or not.

However, there are a few states that have individual state mandates: California, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Vermont. 

If you live in one of the states mentioned above, you will still need to meet the minimal Health Insurance requirement or choose a Health Share Plan that is ACA Compliant. When preventative care is needed, it would be covered through your Health Insurance Plan. When a larger unexpected medical need arises, it would be shared with your Health Share community.  

All recognized healthcare sharing ministries that have been continuously in existence since before the year 2000 are exempt from the individual ACA mandate.

Because Sedera and Zion HealthShare are non religious health share plans, they are not ACA compliant. This will only have an impact on those who live in a state with an individual state mandate.

Sedera Versus Zion HealthShare – Which One Is Best For You?

I am going to review monthly costs (range is dependent on age, individual/family memberships, and the IUAamount), preventative sharing, pre-existing conditions, maternity, turnaround time to pay medical bills, and any special considerations to be aware of.

Monthly Contribution Price Range

Sedera: $113 to $1,713

Zion Health Share: $103 to $790

IUA Amounts

The Initial Unshareable Amount (commonly known as the “IUA”), is the amount the member would need to pay BEFORE the Health Share will “share” in any medical expenses. The member chooses which IUA amount they want. Typically, the larger the member’s responsibility amount is before the Health Share “shares” in anything, the lower the monthly contribution amount.

Sedera: $500, $1000, $1500, $2500, and $5000.

Zion Health Share: $1000, $2500, and $5000.

Statement of Faith

Sedera: None – They accept people of all faiths.

Zion Health Share: None – They accept people of all faiths.

Pre-Existing Conditions

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. 

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 Benefits

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 Unshared 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. 

Zion HealthShare: Members would pay just their IUA amount. If you opt for a home birth, you may submit a request to have your IUA responsibility waived by Zion HealthShare.

Preventative Sharing

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).

Zion Health Share: Immediately after becoming a member, Zion HealthShare shares 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.

Turnaround Time for Paying Medical Expenses

Sedera: 30-60 days

Zion HealthShare: 5-10 Business Days

Considerations

If you are looking for affordable health care outside of traditional insurance options, a non religious health sharing program may be a good fit for you and your health care needs.

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. 

Zion HealthShare: There are no annual or lifetime limits on your eligible medical bills (except with pre-existing conditions).

Sedera versus Zion HealthShare – Which one do I Recommend?

When you look further into what Zion HealthShare offers, it’s easy to see why they are the fastest growing Health Share communities. 

And here’s just a few reasons why: 

• Zion HealthShare members typically save 30-60% off of traditional Health Insurance. Overall, Zion HealthShare costs less than Sedera, including your monthly contribution amounts, no IUA requirement for preventative services, and less expensive for maternity needs. The savings with Zion HealthShare adds up quickly.
• Faster turnaround time for medical bills getting paid. Zion HealthShare is known in the industry and to its members for processing medical needs quickly – often within five to ten business days (once all receipts and bills are submitted)!
• Zion HealthShare does not have annual or lifetime caps on eligible need requests. This gives people peace of mind if very large medical expenses come up, they are not capped.
• Zion HealthShare will negotiate your medical bills for you – big or small. This means that the bigger medical bills have less of an impact for the entire community. For smaller medical bills that are less than your Initial Unshared Amount (IUA) and not normally shared within the community, you are not on your own! Submit that medical bill to Zion HealthShare and they will work to negotiate that price down for you, so that you can pay less money out of pocket. 
• Zion HealthShare is a Nationwide HealthShare, so you can live anywhere in the United States and become a member. 
• Zion HealthShare will share in medical costs when on a vacation or serving a mission outside of the United States. 
• Members can work with providers of their choice – without network restrictions. 

You can learn more on the Zion HealthShare website to see if it’s a good fit for you.