Because of the great contributions of members around the country, medical cost sharing communities are beacons of stewardship and cooperation that have helped alleviate billions in burdensome medical expenses.
The HealthShare industry is always growing and changing. HealthShare Guide’s goal is to keep up with those changes and help prospective and current members stay informed and educated on all that medical cost sharing can provide.
In keeping with that goal, HealthShare Guide has picked the top three HealthShares of 2023, based on the key features to look for in a HealthShare.
Our Top 3 HealthShares’ Key Features
The following are the features to look for in a HealthShare in 2023.
Preventive Screening
While HealthShares may not specialize in preventive care, many do offer limited preventive sharing to members.
One of the most vital preventive services HealthShares provide are preventive screenings, which help to detect cancer and other serious illnesses. These include mammograms to detect breast cancer, as well as colonoscopies and Cologuard® tests to detect colon cancer.
Zion HealthShare shares in colonoscopies for members aged 45 and over every ten years of membership. According to their guidelines, United Refuah HealthShare shares in colonoscopies (up to $1,500) and Cologuard® screenings (up to $500) for members aged 50 and above every ten years, starting after one year of membership. These tests are not subject to the Annual Pre-Share Amount or Co-Share Responsibility.
While preventive mammograms and colonoscopies are shareable with two of the top HealthShares featured in this guide, the same generally cannot be said for Samaritan Ministries. Samaritan Ministries shares colonoscopies “when they are prescribed due to symptoms for a condition not evident prior to membership” but does not share regular tests and checkups. Samaritan does not share in costs related to mammogram screenings, and does not make mention of any exceptions in their guidelines.
Telemedicine
Telemedicine allows users to remotely consult doctors and other licensed medical professionals by phone or video call, for convenient diagnoses and treatment. HealthShares partner with telemedicine providers to give their members additional opportunities for provider visits while keeping out-of-pocket expenses low.
All of the top 3 HealthShares partner with telemedicine companies to provide their members convenient access to remote care.
Open Network
Traditional health insurance, and certain select HealthShares, use provider networks as a way to negotiate lower prices and facility fees. While this does have certain advantages, it also has significant disadvantages.
Provider networks negate some of the freedom and flexibility HealthShares provide. Members are free to seek care while traveling around—and, on occasion, even outside—the country. With provider networks, it can be more difficult to seek care without incurring penalties. The same applies for members in rural areas: if providers in your area are not part of a member’s network, they may be forced to travel long distances to seek care.
Luckily, many HealthShares have moved away from provider networks, instead opting to allow members the freedom to choose their own providers. All of the top HealthShares featured in this guide, Zion HealthShare, Samaritan Ministries, and United Refuah HealthShare, are open network.
Maternity Care
HealthShares offer attractive affordability for families and those looking to start a family. Maternity care is one of the expenses that families want help with, and fortunately, many HealthShares do have available options for maternity care. Typically, maternity costs are only shareable if a member became pregnant during their membership, and become shareable 60 or so days after starting their membership.
All three of the top HealthShares featured in this guide offer maternity sharing. Zion HealthShare takes it a step further: unlike many other major HealthShares in the industry, they do not have a pregnancy fee or separate maternity IUA: maternity needs are treated like any other medical need.
Discount Prescriptions
While HealthShares typically only share incident-related prescription costs, many offer prescription discount programs to reduce members’ out-of-pocket expenses. These programs secure discounts for members by comparing drug prices between pharmacies and providing coupons for generic and brand name medications.
Two of the top HealthShares featured in this guide partner with prescription discount programs: Zion HealthShare partners with OptumRx to provide their Rx Share Program, and Samaritan Ministries partners with CVS Caremark to provide their Samaritan Rx Discount Program. In lieu of a discount prescription program, United Refuah HealthShare assists their members by getting them medications “at very significant discounts or even at no cost” through drug manufacturers’ Patient Assistance Programs, according to their FAQs.
The Top 3 HealthShares in 2023
The following are the top 3 HealthShares featured on HealthShare Guide in 2023.
For a longer discussion, read the 2023 Ultimate HealthShare Guide.
Zion HealthShare
Zion HealthShare is one of the most highly rated, fastest-growing HealthShares in the industry, accruing over 47,000 members in less than four years.
Zion HealthShare has a simple membership structure, with Direct and Essential memberships and three personal responsibility amount options (Zion HealthShare uses the term IUA): $5,000, $2,500, or $1,250. Direct members sign up individually or through the website, and Essential members may sign up through their employer.
All Zion HealthShare members have access to the Additional Giving Fund, which shares medical expenses that would “not normally qualify for sharing.” This is included with every membership at no additional cost per month. Depending on the details of their membership, Zion HealthShare members also have access to preventive sharing, telemedicine, and mental wellness services.
Their affordability and simplicity, paired with the quality and breadth of their features, make them one of the best HealthShare options in 2023.
Key Features
- Preventive Screening
- Telemedicine
- Open Network
- Maternity Care
- Discount Prescriptions
United Refuah HealthShare
United Refuah HealthShare is a small healthcare sharing ministry catering to members of the Jewish faith. But its member requirements also leave the door open for non-practicing Jews to participate in their community. It is highly liked by its members, who consistently rank it among the top organizations in the industry.
United Refuah has a simple membership and pricing model. A member’s personal responsibility amount (which they refer to as the annual pre-share amount, or PSA) is determined by how many members are participating as part of the same membership. An individual membership, for instance, has a $500 PSA and $1,000 maximum co-share (the amount of eligible medical expenses that must be paid before a need may be fully shareable), whereas a family membership has a $1,500 PSA and $4,000 maximum co-share.
Additionally, despite requiring a permanent waiver on sharing for some pre-existing conditions, United Refuah does fully share in expenses related to pre-existing conditions after three years of membership.
The combination of member reviews, simplicity, and generous features, make United Refuah a small but mighty option.
Key Features
- Preventive Screening
- Telemedicine
- Open Network
- Maternity Care
- Discount Prescriptions
Samaritan Ministries
Samaritan Ministries is among the oldest and most popular healthcare sharing ministries in the nation. According to their latest annual report, their 284,000 members shared over $362 million dollars last year.
They are transparent about their administrative and program expenditure, as well as what percentage of their contributions are shared with the community (over 87%). Part of this transparency initiative involves having Samaritan members on their board.
In keeping with their Christian roots, they offer special prayer requests for additional spiritual assistance for their members. Disabled children may remain on their parents’ membership after age 26, decreasing the financial burden on those families. Samaritan Ministries also Samaritan Ministries encourages medical tourism and shares in some medical expenses incurred overseas.
Samaritan Ministries is also a member of the Alliance of Healthcare Sharing Ministries and has been operating for nearly 30 years. For members interested in a well-established Christian HealthShare, Samaritan Ministries is one of the top choices.
Key Features
- Telemedicine
- Open Network
- Maternity Care
- Discount Prescriptions
Conclusion
For more information check out the 2023 Ultimate HealthShare Guide. In addition to providing information on the top HealthShares of the year, the Ultimate Guide goes over the history, process, and benefits of health sharing.
Looking for the best membership offered by each HealthShare? Click here.
