Welcome to HealthShare Guide’s Member Experience series, where we provide information and statistics about member feedback and satisfaction with individual HealthShare companies. This session will be focused on Impact Health Sharing and Solidarity HealthShare.
Note that the information presented is based on member reviews, highlighting the most common issues or successes found in their experiences with these HealthShare companies. We encourage you to do your own research and comparisons to see which health share best fits your needs.
Impact Health Sharing: The Good and the Bad
Pros:
Cost Savings: Many members of Impact Health Sharing stated they experienced significant savings after switching from their traditional health insurance, including savings on prescriptions.
Transparency: Other members expressed appreciation for the transparency regarding how their monthly contributions were being shared within the sharing community.
Comprehensive Sharing: Reviews also showed that members praised the comprehensive sharing offered by Impact Health Sharing, especially for Telemedicine services, noting the ease of visits and satisfaction with providers.
No Provider Network: Several members expressed that they were happy with the absence of a provider network, allowing expenses to be shared in a timely manner with their chosen providers.
Cons:
Unclear Guidelines: Some members and potential members found Impact Health Sharing’s guidelines to be unclear or easy to misunderstand.
Difficulty in Expense Sharing: A few members reported challenges with getting their medical costs shared, leading to unpaid balances being sent to collections.
Customer Services Challenges: Some members had difficulty reaching Impact to resolve problems or concerns.
Solidarity HealthShare: The Good and the Bad
Pros:
Helpful Educational Resources: Prospective members mentioned that they found Solidarity HealthShare’s videos very helpful when searching for a health share membership.
Cost Savings: Some members stated that although it took longer than usual to get their medical expenses shared by Solidarity, the monthly savings compared to their traditional health insurance made it worthwhile.
Cons:
Delayed Expense Sharing: Reportedly, the most common issue members experienced was that medical expenses took up to three years or more to be shared or reimbursed. This delay led to outstanding balances, resulting in members being sent to collections and damaging their credit scores.
Customer Services Challenges: Members described long hold times and received varying or conflicting responses that were often unhelpful. Despite assurances that expenses were “in the batch” and would soon be shared, balances remained unpaid.
Financial Hardship: Even with regular monthly contributions, several members reported that they had to pay their own outstanding medical expenses to avoid collections, causing financial strain on their families.
Avoidance of Medical Treatment: Due to fear of incurring extra costs from unpaid expenses, some members reported times where they avoided medical treatment or doctor visits. Others stated that their doctors refused to see them because of outstanding balances unpaid by Solidarity.
Lack of Transparency: Several reviews indicated disappointment with the transparency shown by Solidarity HealthShare.
Conclusion
Based on member feedback, both Solidarity HealthShare and Impact Health Sharing have their strengths and areas for improvement. While Solidarity HealthShare is noted for helpful resources and cost savings, members are struggling with significant delays in expense sharing and customer service issues. On the other hand, Impact Health Sharing is praised for transparency, comprehensive sharing, and cost savings, though members may face challenges with unclear guidelines and occasional customer service difficulties.
Understanding the concerns of current or former members can help prospective members make more informed decisions when selecting a health share.
