Good for you, but most of the Christian Ministry plans aren't very well suited for those with chronic conditions requiring a lot of high-cost maintenance. Either an expensive premium rider will be added or the preconditions excluded from coverage.
Am I detecting a bit of condescension in your reply? In any unsubsidized insurance market... if one has a preexisting condition with “a lot of high-cost maintenance” either it is not going to be covered or your premium is necessarily going to be expensive. Why in the world would one expect anything different? Outside of Obamacare insurance companies were never intended to be charitable organizations.p>
Ironically Healthcare Ministries actually are "charitable organizations" where members share each other's medical expenses. it is my understanding from the literature we have received that the plan we have covers all of ones expenses for a "chronic condition" after the $500 annual deductible has been met. And, no we are not paying any type of "expensive premium rider". If my wife or I was to come down with some sort of “chronic condition” I believe that we are well covered. I will quote from an example given for the plan that we have, which is CHM’s Gold Plan with Brother's Keeper:
“Gold program
$150 per unit, per month
The Gold program provides members with the ministry’s most extensive financial support.
At the Gold level, you have a $500 personal responsibility per unit, per year. Total bills incurred per medical incident must exceed $500. Obtaining discounts on your bills may reduce or eliminate your $500 personal responsibility amount. You can receive assistance up to $125,000 per illness.
Example: You receive treatment early in the year for a gallbladder problem. Your bills total $7,500. CHM shares the total amount less your personal responsibility ($7,000). In the middle of the same year you have some blood tests done (for an unrelated illness) that cost $400. CHM does not share these bills because the total cost of the incident is less than $500. At the end of the year, you break your arm and the treatment amounts to $2,500. CHM shares the entire amount of $2,500 because you have already paid your $500 personal responsibility in the beginning of the year.
Gold plus Brother’s Keeper
If you join at the Gold level and also join Brother’s Keeper, you will have unlimited financial assistance available to you for all eligible medical bills (after your personal responsibility is met).”
I also wanted to ad this information about Pre-existing conditions copied from the CHM web page because to me it seems to contradict your statement.
"Definition: A pre-existing condition is any medical condition for which you experience signs, symptoms or treatment before joining Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM), even if you have not been diagnosed. CHM cannot share medical bills incurred before you join the ministry.
Active vs. maintenance: We distinguish between pre-existing conditions in “active” treatment and “maintenance” treatment. Medical bills cannot be shared if, at the time you join CHM, the bills are for pre-existing conditions that are actively undergoing treatment other than with maintenance (routine) medications. After the incident is over and your doctor states that you are on a maintenance treatment regimen, bills for any new incident related to the pre-existing illness are eligible for sharing according to the information below.
Schedule: If these criteria are met, Gold level members can receive assistance with medical bills for pre-existing conditions according to the following schedule:
•In the first year of participation, bills incurred for a pre-existing condition are eligible for sharing up to $15,000.
•In the first two years of participation, bills incurred for a pre-existing condition are eligible for sharing up to $25,000 ($15,000 during the first year plus $10,000 during the second year).
•In the first three years of participation, bills incurred for a pre-existing condition are eligible for sharing up to $50,000 ($15,000 during the first year plus $10,000 during the second year plus $25,000 during the third year).
•After the third year of participation, the condition will no longer be considered pre-existing.
Prayer Page: Bills exceeding the three-year schedule listed above may be eligible to appear on the ministry’s Prayer Page printed in the monthly CHM newsletter. All CHM members are invited and encouraged to give to Prayer Page needs (above regular monthly gifts) as they feel led. Members’ names, addresses, medical need explanation and gift updates are included on the page. Prayer Page contributions are tax-deductible, unlike CHM regular program monthly financial gifts."