3 years later as we were preparing to get discharged from the Army, my Dad called to make sure we had health coverage set up before we were officially discharged. I agreed with him since we were making the 5,000 mile drive from Alaska to Kansas. You never know what can happen. My husband wasn't in a hurry to get any, but since he loves me greatly he agreed. It's a good thing he did!
Health insurance is confusing. I don't like things that are confusing. Because of this and other reasons, we decided to opt for a health care sharing program. There are many out there, but we decided on Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM). What I love about this program is that it is NOT health insurance, rather, it is a group of Christians who have joined together to share in each other's burdens through a monthly fee, while still an eligible option under the National Healthcare law.
How it works:
- You agree that you are a Christian living high standards and abstain from the use of illegal drugs and tobacco.
- You pick a level that is right for your family (gold, silver, or bronze). I am signed up as gold because this gives me the highest financial support, lowest deductible ($500/year), prescriptions are included, and gives me the best maternity care. My husband is signed up as silver, which has a $1000 personal responsibility per year. Our total monthly fee is $235.
- When you go in for medical care, you are considered "uninsured," which often means you get a discount (often times 30-40%) for being self-pay.
- The provider sends you the bills directly, and you pay the allotted amount, or the minimum payment plan.
- These bills gets sent to CHM, who then processes them and sends you a check in the mail for the remaining balance, minus your deductible.
- You then pay the remaining balance to your provider (or reimburse your savings account like we often do!)
Things I love about this program:
- We are expected to be responsible with our finances. It feels good to have a medical savings account where we can draw from if needed for medical bills.
- The money is going directly to medical bills of the members across the country.
- We are encouraged to reach out and support others going through difficult times. We often receive notes in the mail about an individual going through a difficult time medically who need support. I have found great strength from writing notes of encouragement to these individuals!
- Our money isn't used for other's treatments for complications from using illegal or harmful substances.
- Doctor's offices like it because they don't have to file insurance.
- I almost always get a self-pay discount
Joining CHM when we did was a huge blessing, because en route to Kansas to start college, my husband got appendicitis and needed surgery. We would have been hit with a $14,000-$40,000 hospital bill if we didn't have coverage. Thankfully we did, and because we were self-pay, we got a discount that dropped our bill from $40,000 to $14,000. We paid our bills each month and when the check came from CHM, we paid the remaining balance.
CHM does not pay for fertility treatments, birth control, or routine treatments (such as physicals), because these are considered elective and we are expected to be able to be wise stewards of our finances and budget accordingly. We live in a society where many people feel entitled to have every comfort. I believe every person has the right to a safe and healthy life, but that we all need to work hard, be honest, and lift each other up through difficult times. For these reasons, joining Christian Healthcare Ministries has been a great blessing for my family.
And just to clarify, I have nothing against health insurance companies. This just seems to be more simple and works best for my family.
Comments
Post a Comment