Sedera vs Zion HealthShare

This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you enroll through my link, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

There are only two Health Shares that do not have a religious affiliation or requirement to become a member: Sedera and Zion HealthShare. In this post, I am going to review monthly costs (range is dependent on age, individual/family memberships, and the IUA* amount), preventive sharing, pre-existing or pre-membership conditions, maternity, turnaround time to pay medical bills, and any special considerations to be aware of.

*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.

IUA Amounts

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

Zion HealthShare: $1000, $2500, and $5000.

Monthly Contribution Price Range

Sedera: $153 to $2,088

Zion HealthShare: $111 to $856

Statement of Faith

Sedera: None – They accept people of all faiths.

Zion HealthShare: None – They accept people of all faiths.

Preventive 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 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

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-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

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 Sharing Request.

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

Sedera: 30-60 days

Zion HealthShare: 5-10 Business Days

Considerations

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: Generally, there are no lifetime caps on your sharing requests (except with pre-membership conditions).

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 preventive services, and less expensive for maternity sharing requests. 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 sharing requests 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 sharing requests. This gives people peace of mind if very large medical expenses come up, they are not capped.
Zion HealthShare is a Nationwide HealthShare. US residents in every state – except Washington State – can become a member.
Zion HealthShare will share in emergency or urgent medical expenses incurred outside 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.

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.