A while back, I ran into a huge dilemma like a lot of you probably did. My healthcare insurance provider pulled out of my state, and the only option I had left was Obamacare (which is crazy expensive). To save money, I went on the hunt for cheap health insurance, and I discovered Medi-Share. I only wish I had found them years ago. Check out my Medi-Share review below and why I can’t recommend them enough.
Even if Obamacare (AKA the Affordable Care Act) ever gets repealed, I have lost all faith in our healthcare system as a nation. And there is no way I ever see them getting the prices to something that I would consider affordable.
Journey to find cheap health insurance
I work from home (in the United States), where I run my own business with my brother. The IRS sees me as self-employed. There are thousands of freelancers and remote workers in similar positions. A couple of years back, I purchased health insurance from Aetna, which cost me about $275 a month.
But then it happened! The Affordable Care Act (ACA) pretty much destroyed the health insurance marketplace. I discovered that every single private health insurance company in the state of Arizona was suddenly pulling out. This meant my only option was to sign up for insurance through healthcare.gov. I went and got a quote, and my heart dropped. Their cheapest plan was $425 a month for a single person.
I had heard bad things about the ACA, but I couldn’t believe it. There was no way I would pay $425 a month for health insurance. That, and the deductibles were still very high. The plans didn’t even include eye or dental insurance, only health. Working from home, I have to budget for all of these things.
I closed my browser and let my mind rest for a week or so, as I was kind of stressed out. I was ignoring the problem and seriously thinking about not signing up for insurance. Thankfully they got rid of the penalty if you don’t sign up for ACA. But not having any health insurance is a scary thought if something was to happen.
Medi-Share review
I did what most people do nowadays. I posted on my Facebook page and asked what everyone else was doing because this was mind-boggling. Nobody had a good answer. However, a couple of days later, one of my relatives mentioned I should check out Medi-Share. I had never heard of it. So I headed over to mychristiancare.org (also known as Medi-Share).
Upon first visiting their site, I could instantly tell they were a Christian organization. Being a Christian myself (a Pastor’s kid), I thought this was pretty cool! Reading into it more, I was inspired by what their organization was providing. Here is a breakdown from their site about how Medi-Share works:
Each month, your monthly share is matched with another’s eligible medical bills. Through a secure online portal, Christian Care Ministry publishes the bills eligible for sharing and coordinates the direct sharing of medical costs between members. You will know each month whose bills your share is helping pay, and when you have eligible bills and your annual household portion (AHP) has been met, your fellow believers will be sharing those bills and praying for you as well.
Or, in short, it’s like Christian crowd-funded healthcare! Together, members have shared over $1.6 billion dollars in medical bills since 1993.
Who is Medi-Share for?
If you aren’t a Christian, this might not be for you; however, I urge you to still look into it. You might be surprised by what I found: an awesome and friendly community that helps each other.
To be a member, you should agree with their statement of faith. I had no problem with this, as I will hold these same beliefs and values until the day I die. They provide affordable options for individuals, families, and seniors! There’s even a group program for churches and Christian employers.
And if you are wondering, this does comply with federal regulations for health insurance. Most states don’t have penalties anymore, but it’s important to be aware of that. If you have Medi-share, you will never be penalized, regardless of what changes with ACA requirements.
How much does Medi-Share cost?
So I know you are all probably wondering, how much does Medi-Share cost? Well, it depends on your age. Here is a chart from someone in their mid 30’s (make sure to check their site for the latest up-to-date prices). I ended up going with the $10,000 household portion, which they call your deductible compared to regular insurances.
I haven’t had any health issues for a while and have savings, so I was fine going with a higher deductible. Because of this, I ended up paying $73 a month for my health insurance! This is a savings of $352 a month compared to ACA. Mind blown.
And as you can see above, if you need insurance with lower deductibles, they have very reasonable rates!
Dental, vision, and free doctor video chat included
If you were wondering, Medi-share also includes coverage for dental, vision, and free 24/7 on-demand access to US Board Certified doctors via video chat! Talk about awesome. And yes, just like typical insurance providers, you get ID cards that you can give to providers. You get hard copies in the mail, and you can also easily print these anytime from the website.
Remember, they don’t technically call this insurance, but instead private healthcare and discounts. But insurance is essentially what it is.
Medi-Share website
I have used Blue Cross and Aetna before, and I can tell you that Medi-Share’s website is just excellent in comparison. It’s like they hire real designers over there.
Here is a screenshot of the dashboard. As you can see, you can quickly find providers, edit your payment methods, find forms, print ID cards, and check on on your medical bill status. This is what a health insurance website should look like! It’s clean, simple, and easy to find everything.
Putting Medi-Share to the test
I didn’t plan to put Medi-Share to the test anytime soon, but I woke up with intense chest pain one morning. It got so bad I thought I was having a heart attack, even though that is very unlikely at my age. So I went to the emergency room.
Long story short, I was sent to the hospital and had to stay there for four days. Thankfully, it turned out to be Pneumomediastinum, which is where air leaks into the chest cavity. Supposedly, this happens in super skinny people, which I am. And it resolved on its own after some bed rest.
Ironically my doctor, also a super skinny guy, said he had this happen to him once when he was younger. He said it rarely ever happens again. But this is a friendly reminder to all of you, no matter how healthy you are, you should always have some form of health insurance!
But, as some of you might know, a trip to the ER with lots of tests and four nights in the hospital is not cheap. All in all, I wound up with a $46,000 bill. So I ended up putting Medi-Share to the test.
I can now personally vouch for them, and once I hit my deductible of $10,000, they paid for the rest. Below is just one of the many screenshots. In the end, they paid around $35,000, and there was $1,000, or so that was not covered.
One cool thing is that it’s like a community of people helping each other. People can comment on each other’s medical bills being shared, and you can see where your money is going. You can even thank everyone for their help. This is so much better than just handing your money over to a corporation.
Medi-Share staff
I also have to give a shoutout to the Medi-Share staff. I’ve called them a couple of times, and they are the most polite people I have ever talked to. They even say a prayer with you on the phone, which I thought was really cool.
I remember calling Aetna, and every time I talked to someone, it was like they hated life, their job, and just wanted the conversation to be over. It’s the exact opposite with Medi-Share. If you don’t believe me, feel free to dial them right now and chat.
They also go the extra mile. The last guy I talked to sent me a handwritten note in the mail. Yes, handwritten! (see below) It reads:
Dear Brian,
I’m praying for you to have healing, strength, recovery and the peace and presence of Christ. “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
In Christ, David
How cool is that? I can promise you ACA won’t be sending you any personal notes anytime soon.
2021 update
I’ve been with Medi-Share for over four years now and am still loving it. It’s the best alternative to government healthcare that I’ve found.
Summary
I can honestly say that Medi-Share is a true blessing! Their price is excellent, the people are superb, and the coverage works. Is it for everyone? Probably not, but it can definitely work for a lot of you, just like it did for me.
I want to personally thank the founders of Medi-Share for coming up with such a creative company. They aren’t just about providing cheap health insurance. I really believe they are creating a difference in the world, and it’s something our nation especially needs right now.
I’m curious, have you had any experience with Medi-Share? If so, I would love to hear your thoughts. And if this Medi-Share review was helpful, please share it!
