{"id":6550,"date":"2016-10-28T07:40:07","date_gmt":"2016-10-28T14:40:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/americanretirementadvisors.com\/?p=6550"},"modified":"2016-10-28T08:34:18","modified_gmt":"2016-10-28T15:34:18","slug":"understanding-faith-based-alternatives-to-healthcare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/americanretirementadvisors.com\/understanding-faith-based-alternatives-to-healthcare\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding Faith Based Alternatives to Healthcare"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_post_title admin_label=”Post Title” title=”on” meta=”off” author=”off” date=”on” categories=”on” comments=”on” featured_image=”off” featured_placement=”below” parallax_effect=”on” parallax_method=”on” text_orientation=”left” text_color=”dark” text_background=”off” text_bg_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.9)” module_bg_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0)” title_all_caps=”off” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]
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Understanding<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Faith Based Alternatives For Healthcare<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Researched Provided By David P. Schaeffer, CSA<\/p>\n

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Click to download or share this as a PDF.<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Everyone would agree having a method to obtain high quality affordable healthcare is a requirement in modern America. The Affordable Healthcare Act provided healthcare to all American\u2019s without disqualification for preexisting conditions, but it was not affordable nor did it allow most folks to maintain their current medical relationships. The insurance companies stated they would lose millions with the act, and the government stated they would be reimbursed for their loss. The government failed to pay the billions of dollars in insurance company losses. The insurance companies were forced to stop offering plans where the premiums did not cover their costs of operations.<\/p>\n

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So here we are…<\/p>\n

Most counties in the United States are with less than three insurance companies\u2019 choices. Those Americans that need insurance most, are forced to get a plan without their doctors at costs they cannot possibly afford.<\/p>\n

Perhaps we need to look at alternatives! Desperate times call for desperate measures. We cannot endorse any of the faith based ministries enclosed in this guide. But I see no other option for many folks under the age of 65 that need to buy individual health insurance.<\/p>\n

What is a faith based health ministry?<\/p>\n

According to Wikipedia:<\/p>\n

(https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Health_care_sharing_ministry)<\/p>\n

\u201cA health care sharing ministry is an organization that facilitates sharing of health care costs between individual members who have common ethical or religious beliefs in the United States. A health care sharing ministry does not use actuaries, does not accept risk or make guarantees, and does not purchase reinsurance polices on behalf of its members. Members of health care sharing ministries are exempt from the individual responsibility requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, often referred to as Obamacare. This means members of health care sharing ministries are not required to have insurance as outlined in the individual mandate.<\/p>\n

According to www.healthcaresharing.org, an alliance of the two largest ministries in the US, over 400,000 Americans participate in health care sharing in 2015, sharing more than $340 million in medical bills annually. A January 2015 op-ed in the New York Times stated that the four main healthcare ministries in the US have a total combined membership of about 340,000, saying that membership has grown recently because of their exemption to the insurance mandate of the Affordable Care Act.
\nThe monthly cost of membership in a health care sharing ministry is generally lower than the cost of insurance rates.<\/p>\n

Some of the larger health care sharing ministries are: (Links and phone numbers included later in article)<\/p>\n

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  • \uf0b7 \u00a0Christian Healthcare Ministries<\/li>\n
  • \uf0b7 \u00a0Medi-Share, a program of Christian Care Ministry Samaritan Ministries<\/li>\n
  • \uf0b7 \u00a0Liberty HealthShare, Gospel Light Mennonite Church Medical Aid Plan, Inc<\/li>\n
  • \uf0b7 \u00a0MCS Medical Cost Sharing<\/li>\n
  • \uf0b7 \u00a0Altrua HealthShare<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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    Most ministries are oriented toward practicing Christians, with restrictions like abstaining from sex outside of marriage, excessive drinking, tobacco, and illegal drugs. They usually require members to make a statement of belief as well. For instance Samaritan Ministries requires a statement of Christian faith including belief in the triune God and divinity of Jesus; Liberty HealthShare is more inclusive, accepting members with a wide variety of religious and ethical beliefs. All such ministries require that members subscribe to the ethical principles of individually responsibility for health, and helping others in need.<\/p>\n

    Tax penalties under the Affordable Care Act<\/p>\n

    In order for members to be exempt from the tax penalties outlined in the Affordable Care Act, ministries must meet the following qualifications:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • \uf0b7 \u00a0Must be a 501(c)(3) organization<\/li>\n
    • \uf0b7 \u00a0Members must share common ethical or religious beliefs<\/li>\n
    • \uf0b7 \u00a0Must not discriminate membership based on state of residence or employment<\/li>\n
    • \uf0b7 \u00a0Members cannot lose membership due to development of a medical condition<\/li>\n
    • \uf0b7 \u00a0Must have existed and been in practice continually since December 31, 1999<\/li>\n
    • \uf0b7 \u00a0Must be subject to an annual audit by an independent CPA which must be publicly availableupon requestFour ministries that meet these qualifications are: Christian Healthcare Ministries, Liberty HealthShare, Samaritan Ministries, and Medi-Share. MCS Medical Cost Sharing, founded after 1999, does not meet the qualifications, but offers to pay the tax penalties incurred by members. Altrua HealthShare, though founded in March 2000 three months after the December 1999 cutoff, has been approved as a health sharing ministry that qualifies members for the penalty exemption.Though federal health care law requires U.S. citizens to have health insurance or a health cost sharing ministry like CHM, you may be interested to know that CHM doesn\u2019t have an open enrollment period. You, your spouse, or your dependent children can enroll in CHM anytime during the year\n

      Health care sharing satisfies the Federal health care law\u2019s (Affordable Care Act) requirement that individuals purchase insurance or pay a penalty-tax. If people join in the middle of a year however, they may be required to pay a prorated tax-penalty for the months that they and members of their household were not participating in a health care sharing ministry or uninsured.<\/p>\n

      From the Wall Street Journal:<\/p>\n

      \u201cThe ministries operate outside the insurance system and aren\u2019t regulated by states, provide a health- care cost-sharing arrangement among people with similarly held beliefs. Their membership growth has been spurred by an Affordable Care Act provision allowing participants in eligible ministries to avoid fines for not buying insurance.<\/p>\n

      Ministry officials say they aren\u2019t offering insurance, don\u2019t guarantee claims will be paid, and don\u2019t need to be regulated. The nonprofits are well managed, according to ministry officials, with third-party audits and a sterling history of sharing members\u2019 claims.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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      From our Google search:<\/p>\n

      www.chministries.org
      \nChristian Healthcare Ministries 127 Hazelwood Ave. Barberton, OH 44203-1316
      \n800-791-6225<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      www.mychristiancare.org\/medi-share
      \nMedi-Share
      \nP.O. Box 120099 Melbourne, FL 32912
      \n(800) 772-5623<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      www.samaritanministries.org
      \nSamaritan Ministries 6000 N. Forest Park Drive Peoria, IL 61614
      \n(877) 764-2426<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      www.altruahealthshare.org
      \nAltrua HealthShare
      \nPO Box 90849
      \nAustin, TX 78709-0849
      \n888-244-3839<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      www.libertyhealthshare.org
      \nGospel Light Mennonite Church Medical Aid Plan, Inc Mailing Address:
      \n4845 Fulton Dr. NW
      \nCanton, Ohio 44718
      \n(855) 585-4237<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      www.medicalcostsharing.com
      \nMedical Cost Sharing, Inc. 518 Felix Street
      \nSaint Joseph, Missouri 64501
      \n866-826-5316<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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      The information contained in this booklet is not written or intended as tax or legal advice, and it may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any federal tax penalties. You are encouraged to seek advice from your own tax or legal counsel. The content is derived from sources believed to be accurate. Neither the information presented nor any opinion expressed constitutes a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security.<\/p>\n

      American Retirement Advisors assumes no responsibility for statements made in this publication including, but not limited to, typographical errors or omissions, or statements regarding legal, tax, securities, and financial matters. Qualified legal, tax, securities, and financial advisors should always be consulted before acting on any information concerning these fields.<\/p>\n

      For information about retirement planning …<\/p>\n

      Contact David P. Schaeffer 602-281-3898 David@AmericanRetire.com<\/p>\n

      David P. Schaeffer is a Certified Long Term Care Planning Consultant. He holds the professional designation of CLTC\u00ae.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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      Understanding Faith Based Alternatives For Healthcare Researched Provided By David P. Schaeffer, CSA   Click to download or share this as a PDF.   Everyone would agree having a method to obtain high quality affordable healthcare is a requirement in modern America. The Affordable Healthcare Act provided healthcare to all American\u2019s without disqualification for preexisting […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6552,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[84],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6550","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthcare"],"yoast_head":"\nAmerican Retirement Advisors 800-568-1095 Expert Advice<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"American Retirement Advisors, David P. Schaeffer, Retirement Advisor, Retirement Defender, Insure your savings, Save your Savings from Wall Street. 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