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.

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 Health Sharing Ministries?

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 Health Sharing Ministries would be: Impact Health Share, 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.