Christian health care cost-sharing: panacea or scam?

[MillCreek]

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/02/health/christian-health-care-insurance.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

Based on our experience, we are no longer accepting these plans as 'insurance'.  We would submit bills and they were never paid and the plans never responded to us. We are now treating patients with this arrangement as un-insured, and asking them to pay cash.  The patients can submit the bills to the plans for reimbursement and see how that works for them.  What really ticked us off was the plans telling the patients to ask us to write off our bills as 'an act of Christian charity'.

I suspect someone, the people who run these plans, is getting rich by keeping the money and exploiting the lack of legal oversight since these plans are not 'insurance' subject to the state regulators.

[Ben]

That's disappointing to hear. While not specifically focusing on "Christian health plans", I really thought that the concept itself had merit in our current health care mess. I'm sorry to see it's not working. I've only ever heard of the Christian "health networks". Are there others that use the same method but that work?

[Ron]

The whole industry is a mess. Too many hands in the kitty trying to make a living or get rich.

There isn't a middle man, there are dozens of middle men.

I'm leery of large institutions, including "religious" ones.

If they are failing to perform I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

Dissapointing though.

[K Frame]

I read some information on these plans when they started to really crop up in the aftermath of ACA.

A few things struck me...

1. How much they were based on faith... as in, the "insured" has faith that the plan will actually pay, which in far to many cases, it apparently won't.

2. How in a lot of cases they were marketed as insurance products, when they're not.

3. How little oversight there is of such plans.

4. How much potential there would be for abuse of such plans.


Does anyone know what the tax implications of belonging to such a plan are? Are your "premiums" tax deductible as they are with actual health insurance?

[Angel Eyes]

Somewhat relevant:

https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/medical-debt-southminster-presbyterian-church-boise-pay-off-bills-rip/277-469d5ea1-dc5c-4d83-ae87-4bd38d67b14e

Back in November, the Southminster Presbyterian Church raised thousands of dollars through a craft fair, as well as donations, to purchase that debt from RIP medical debt, a nonprofit agency that bundles unpaid medical debt and allows churches to purchase the debt for pennies on the dollar.
...
“In Idaho, we were able to spend $15,000 between this congregation and our regional church and we relieved $1.6 million worth of debt held by 971 Idahoans,” Glass said.

The church has also set aside money to give to folks in their congregation who are also paying off medical bills but haven't gone to collections. They hope to raise another $15,000 to pay off future medical debt.

[Boomhauer]

My rule is big money in religion type stuff = big scam.

[Ben]

My rule is big money in religion type stuff = big scam.

Probably applies to a lot of stuff, but yeah, to me it's extra hypocritical in the religious community, especially the Christian community. I don't get how their congregations are accepting of these pastors that have second homes in Hawaii, or even private jets. I'd be kinda upset if my tithing was going to a "Red Cross" church instead of a "Salvation Army" church.

[MillCreek]

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/at-least-now-we-know-god-isnt-the-answer-to-our-endless-health-reform-debate/?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=owned_echobox_f&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR1cgMHRQG7Of8UL1vztHVg1A955APh9Y1921n2sReYcvgy0hqUouQoEQsQ#Echobox=1578149554

Washington State has gone after some of these companies.