Sedera, headquartered in Austin, Texas, has been serving its members since 2014. The company was founded by Dr. Tony Dale and, while based on the HealthShare ministry model, has no religious requirement for membership. Instead, members commit to a healthy lifestyle, moral behavior, and certain ethical beliefs.
How does a Sedera membership work?
Sedera does not have religious requirements for entry, and is instead focused on providing a medical cost sharing community centered around a set of core ethical beliefs and principles that anyone is welcome to commit to.
The cost of monthly contributions depends on the primary member’s age, the member’s household size, and the member’s chosen Initial Unshareable Amount (IUA), of which there are multiple options to choose from. Those prices can be found on Sedera’s website: the lower a member’s IUA, the higher their monthly contribution.
Members are encouraged to contact Sedera for assistance with the needs process. Sedera member advisors assist members with submitting a need, and will advocate on their behalf to keep healthcare costs low for them and the HealthShare community. Funds for the community are transferred from members’ medical cost sharing bank accounts to their own bank accounts, and those funds are then used to pay for related medical expenses.
Sedera’s Expert Second Opinion (ESO) program rewards members who seek out a second opinion on any diagnosis or treatment plan related to non-emergency or elective surgeries by reducing or waiving their related IUA. Conversely, the member may be asked to provide a reason/justification if the ESO program suggests a less invasive surgery/treatment and the Member decides not to change their treatment plan.
Sedera and pre-existing conditions
Sedera, like other HealthShares, is mainly designed to handle larger medical expenses, especially those that result from unexpected or unpredictable medical illnesses or injuries. While they do not initially share members’ pre-existing conditions in the first year of membership, depending on a member’s longevity, they may share a portion or even the totality of related, eligible expenses. After 12 months of membership, they will share medical expenses related to pre-existing conditions up to $15,000, and then up to $30,000 after 24 months. After 37 months, those expenses will be completely shareable.
These numbers are a bit different for Team memberships. After one year of membership, a member enrolled with a Team may initially share up to $25,000 in eligible expenses, with an increase of expenses shared up to $50,000 after 24 months. After 37 months, there are no sharing restrictions.
For prospective members with long-term concerns about sharing expenses related to pre-existing conditions, this may be a key consideration.
Noteworthy
Here is some of the top information we believe potential members might want to know about this HealthShare.
Key considerations
- Sharing turnaround time between 14–60 days
- Tobacco use allowed with additional monthly contribution*
- Sedera member advisors assist members through non-emergency needs
- Separate bank account required
- Sharing unavailable in some states (Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, California, New Mexico, and Washington)
Membership requirements
- Members must agree to the Ethical Beliefs and Principles set forth in the membership guidelines
- Be under age 65
Pros
- No yearly or lifetime maximum, though certain dollar amounts and/or visit limits apply
- Maximum of 3 IUAs per calendar year
- 5 flexible IUA levels
- 90% of monthly contributions dedicated to member needs
- Pre-existing conditions fully shareable after 37 months of uninterrupted membership
- Expert Second Opinion Program can reduce the IUA for elective and non-emergency surgeries
- Annual flu shot sharable for all ages and pediatric immunizations (up to age 18)
Cons
- No single need may consume more than 1/3 of the total number of shares available in a given month
- Adoption expenses not shareable
- Maternity IUA $5,000–$7,500 for individual memberships
Ideal candidates
- Desire to join a HealthShare but do not meet the religious requirements of other sharing programs
- Want affordability, choice, transparency, and support to pay for medical costs
- Want an alternative healthcare strategy for a team
Get to know Sedera in the video below
Page Updated: 03.01.23
