What Is Christian Medi-Share? Is it Biblical?

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Medi-Share is a Christian alternative to insurance.  It has existed since 1993.  Medi-Share is based on the church model found in the book of Acts and the admonition to bear one another’s burdens found in Galatians 6:2.  This program seeks to take these principles and implement them in a systematic and organized way in order to help the most people possible.  In this day, when our economy is unstable and government controlled healthcare is a reality, Medi-Share has a definite appeal.  Although, it is impossible for me to explain every detail of the Medi-Share program, I will attempt to present the highlights and encourage anyone interested to visit their website for those details (http://mychristiancare.org/).

Applicant Requirements

One of the requirements for acceptance into the Med-Share plan is that the applicant has a valid testimony concerning their personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  The application literature actually states that a minister, who knows the applicant, may be contacted to verify the applicant’s walk of faith.

A summary of the application guidelines is taken from their website (http://mychristiancare.org/eligibility.aspx):

• Have a verifiable Christian testimony indicating a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, and profess the Statement of Faith
• Attend a fellowship of believers, regularly and actively support that ministry, and live under the discipline of that body
• Share the conviction that believers are to bear one another’s burdens according to Galatians 6:2
• Believe the biblical doctrine that their bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and therefore are to be kept pure
• Must not engage in sex outside of traditional Christian marriage
• Cannot use tobacco or illegal drugs in any form, or abuse legal drugs or alcohol
• Be a U.S citizen (those serving abroad as missionaries may qualify) or a permanent resident with a visa or green card and Social Security number who lives full time in the United States
• The program is open only for non-smoking, legal residents.

How Medi-Share Works

Medi-Share makes it clear that it is not insurance, but a ‘medical bill sharing’ system.  There are seven different options available and the website says that there is one, “…to meet every budget”.  The participant’s cost is based on their household income, the ages of those in the household, and the amount of deductible they choose to pay.  The Medi-Share website says that its program will fulfill the obligations for health care (mandated by the government) going into effect in 2014 (http://mychristiancare.org/guidelines.aspx#IA).

Medi-Share is a Christian alternative to insurance.

Medi-Share’s website outlines its program, “Each month, the Members of Medi-Share contribute toward the Eligible Medical Bills of other Medi-Share Members.  As the administrator of the Medi-Share program, Christian Care Ministry facilitates this sharing process by publishing medical bills that are eligible for sharing.  Those bills are paid with the funds of Members who faithfully share” (http://mychristiancare.org/guidelines.aspx#IA).

There is an incentive program to encourage the participants to pursue healthy lifestyle choices.  Members are encouraged to pray for one another.

Some benefits of this program:

– It allows believers to share their resources with like-minded brothers and sisters who share their faith.
– It prevents believer’s resources from being used on un-Godly pursuits.
– It attempts to faithfully follow the guidelines laid out in the Bible for helping one another.
– It is an organized way to help those who need help in a way that does not cause hardships for those who give.
– It is helpful for those without employment or whose employer does not offer insurance.

Conclusion

The Medi-Share website says, “The purpose of Medi-Share is to bring Christians together to share God’s blessings and to share each other’s burdens”.  This is certainly a biblical viewpoint, and one that should be practiced more throughout the Christian community.  A program that consistently seeks to do God’s will in this area could be a great blessing to the Christian community.  For those believers without insurance paid for by their employers, this could be answered prayer.

While this article is not an outright endorsement of Medi-Share, nor has ‘What Christians Want to Know’ taken a position on the integrity of the program, I encourage anyone interested in this type of medical coverage to visit the Medi-Share website (http://mychristiancare.org/).

The website has a much more in-depth explanations than I can give here, it has testimonials from participants in the program, it has calculators to estimate how much you would pay for your family, and answers to many more questions that I’m sure the reader of this article will have.

Most of all, in this decision as in every decision, seek the will of God through prayer and obedience to His will.

Tagged as: Christian Answers, Christian Medi-Share