Posted on 05/22/2014 12:01:36 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
(VIDEO-AT-LINK)
Recently, my wife approached me with the unwelcome news that our health insurance plan — which we like — will likely be cancelled next year. Her employer, a healthcare provider, generously provides benefits even for those working part-time. Due to the devastation wrecked upon the industry by Obamacare, they anticipate the need to drop coverage for all employees working less than 60 hours per pay period. My wife works 56. Since my employer’s offering proves virtually worthless, far too expensive for far too little coverage, we will be left effectively uninsured.
We may consider Samaritan Ministries as an alternative to insurance. Resembling the mutual aid societies which were common throughout America before the rise of the welfare state, Samaritan Ministries operates as a “health care sharing” service. Here’s how it works:
Each member commits to sending a set “Share” amount each month. These “Shares” are sent directly through the mail from one household to another, to the members with “Needs”. Samaritan Ministries uses a database that randomly matches Shares to Needs, so that the Sharing is coordinated and Shares go to the appropriate members with Needs.
Born to a world dominated by employee-provided health insurance, we may find the notion of health care sharing bizarre or even suspect. But is it really any more odd than our rapidly corrupting government?
It’s with some irony that a Christian ministry has essentially gone Galt. While Ayn Rand may have balked at the religious context in which Samaritan Ministries operates, she also may have tipped her hat at their defiance of convention.
The service “even satisfies the Federal health care law’s (Affordable Care Act) requirement that you have insurance or pay a penalty-tax (see 26 United States Code Section 5000A, (d), (2), (B)).”
Would you consider a health care sharing service like Samaritan Ministries? How might the business model be applied to other needs?
A totalitarian regime will never permit their subjects to engage in bypassing rules and decrees it deems must be followed.
If enough people started doing this the Rulers will change the law to “close the loophole” or require such a ‘shared system’ to be regulated by the government stooges that run ObamaCare.
The goal is Single Payer and no one will be permitted to bypass the Beast.
Thank you for bringing the information of mutual aid societies to FR.
I have a question, are the mutual aid societies compliant with healthcare plan standards for ACA?
I really dislike having to ask the question as it makes an impression that Obamacare’s existence is acknowledged and its mandate is allowed to broach our daily thoughts.
But if there’s any means possible to avoid or negate the effects of this horror of government mandated healthcare, then I will invest whatever it takes to make people aware that they can be independent of this government healthcare fiasco.
The service “even satisfies the Federal health care law’s (Affordable Care Act) requirement that you have insurance or pay a penalty-tax (see 26 United States Code Section 5000A, (d), (2), (B)).”
Actually there is more than one of these companies. They were in business BEFORE the ObamaCare Disaster passed and are legally allowed to continue.
Why does this sound like a Ponzi scheme to me?
The health sharing ministries are a specific carve out under the ACA. The greatest problem for consumers is that the rules of the Affordable Care Act deny the same exemption to any new mutual aid societies or health ministries, or even those founded after 2000.
Alternatives to Obamacare
http://tamarawilhite.hubpages.com/hub/Alternatives-to-Obamacare
Not really.
Thank you. This is what I remember reading about exempt organizations. Mutual Aid Societies are not really exempt.
Can the health shading ministries expand to take in consumers? How?
shading=sharing of course
Divine Providence let that little gem of a loophole slip in.
I’m sure those serving The Beast will attempt to remove it when they think they can get away with it.
Would you consider a health care sharing service like Samaritan Ministries? How might the business model be applied to other needs?
All Catholic Churches have an emergency fund — usually called a “Caritas” fund to help parishioners.
At one time in our history there was something that promoted the growth of mutual insurance companies. These were local insurance companies for health to property to auto. I have often wondered if that legislation is still in place. We have had consolidation of insurance, maybe there is still a way to start things over with local companies?
Yes. I believe Samaritan Health Sharing Ministries and Medi-Share have doubled and tripled in membership.
One of my concerns though is someone coming back and suing, shutting down this loop hole, because there is no Muslim, Buddhist or atheist equivalent. Then we lose this exception because it isn’t available to all religious groups.
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