But by knowing your healthshare plan inside and out, it’s possible to not only lower your monthly payments, but also get healthier, strengthen your investments, and get a head start on retirement.

Here are a few ways to get the most out of your health sharing plan in 2022:

1.) Stay Healthy

The reason that healthshare plans are so affordable is that they don’t force people to pay for protection that they’re not going to use. But if you do get sick or injured, your healthshare plan could have a significant member portion that you’ll be responsible for.

To get the most value out of your healthshare plan, do what you can to stay healthy. Invest in fitness equipment and memberships, take advantage of telehealth benefits and avoid tobacco and excessive alcohol.

2.) Consider Direct Primary Care (DPC) in Addition to Health Sharing

If you’re trying to maintain your health, regular visits with your Primary Care provider are an absolute must. But with most health share plans, primary care visits are not qualified for cost sharing (with some exceptions).

Direct Primary Care (DPC) is a membership-based program that gives you ongoing primary care visits in exchange for a low monthly fee. DPC memberships can give you the preventive care that you need to stay healthy, without having to pay for an expensive insurance plan.

Now, you can get a healthshare plan that is custom-tailored to work with DPC. MPB Direct is among the most popular DPC plans that we offer.

3.) Know Your Membership, Inside and Out

As healthshare plans become more popular, they have also added new features, resources, and member programs that a lot of people don’t know about. In many cases, these new features are designed to keep members healthy, therefore reducing the financial strain on the cost-sharing community.

For example, OneShare Health offers a Member Assistance Program (MAP) designed to enhance members’ lives through online counseling, crisis help, peer support groups, and more.

Similarly, many Altrua HealthShare plans include membership to valuable discount programs, like Careington dental, Epic Heating, and QualSight LASIK. These programs provide members with savings as high as 50% compared to regular out-of-pocket costs.

4.) Consider a Whole-Family Membership

Individual healthshare plans are a lot more affordable than unsubsidized insurance, but the savings are even greater when you’re enrolling the whole family. Some healthshare programs have family plans for as low as $399 per month for a family of four.

With most healthshare plans, the entire family is covered under one Annual Household Portion or AHP. That means that you only have to pay that portion once, no matter how much cost sharing your family might need for the year.  

5.) Double-Check Your Rates

Just like health insurance, your healthshare rates are subject to change from year to year. In some cases, these changes can be significant, and sudden. That’s why it’s a good idea to pay attention to your membership. You should get a notice if your monthly contribution is going up, but it never hurts to double-check yourself.

If you end up needing to switch to a more affordable healthshare, your Personal Benefits Manager can help.

6.) Stick With Us for All Your Healthshare Needs