State of Washington Insurance Commissioner Orders Religious Co-Op Samaritan Ministries to Stop Operating in the State

This is a non profit faith organization that offers prayer support as well. It doesn’t appear that there’s any algorithmic assessments on health conditions but basically just spreading the cost over a large enough group of members, which is kind of what health insurance started out to be. You can watch the video and see how it works. In addition, you can listen to how bills more than just the medical bills were covered. They have a board of directors that reviews all processes. They offer to pray with you as well if you like on the phone.

Samaritan Ministries from Samaritan Ministries on Vimeo.

From the website:

“When a member has a health care "Need" he receives health care treatment from a provider of his choice, collects the bills, and sends them to Samaritan Ministries. Samaritan Ministries verifies that the Need meets the Guidelines. Then, in the monthly newsletter mailing, Samaritan Ministries directs some members to send their Shares to the member with the Need. The member with the need receives the shares to pay his health care bills.

With more than 15,500 member households participating in the ministry, there is about $3.5 million available each month to meet health care needs.”

Samaritan Ministries is a tax exempt charity under the internal revenue code (501c3). We recognize that only God can provide for all our needs, and He has many ways He can provide. Shares from members, discounts from health care providers, or extra gifts from friends, family, churches, and community are all ultimately from His hand.”

There’s a monthly share fee, plus an annual administrative fee of $170.00. I don’t get this unless someone has a problem but I have not heard anything different and shoot people can belong here who get turned down for regular health insurance for goodness sakes, so what’s all the fuss about, loss of profits to insurance companies? Let me know if I missed something here. This sounds like a good program and as long as it is operated correctly with “donations” leave it alone so some can get their care paid for if they become members. They just don’t collect any taxes here as they are exempt, so this tiny bit of tax money is an issue?

On second thought perhaps the health insurance industry may see such organizations as threats? When health insurance was first organized it was all non profit and maybe we might need to revisit that methodology some day. I say leave the Samaritan Missionaries alone as it sounds like people are getting care. To submit a need, the expenses have to be more than $300, so it’s not handling every office visit, etc. but directed to areas where help is needed dollar wise. BD

State insurance commissioner Mike Kreidler has ordered a prominent health-care sharing ministry to stop operating in Washington, saying the group is doing business illegally here.

The Illinois-based group, Samaritan Ministries International, is a religious co-op with national members who pay annual fees and a monthly share to cover each other's medical bills. The ministry is part of a growing trend of people relying on faith-based co-ops for financial help as an alternative to traditional health insurance.

Samaritan maintains that it's not running an insurance business, but a "need-sharing" program for its members. Members agree to pay monthly shares depending on a family size, plus a yearly $170 fee, according to Kreidler's office.

A spokesman for the office said Samaritan claims 15,500 members nationally and $3.5 million in shares per month. MSNBC reported that Samaritian has a total of 46,000 members, including those abroad, who also pool in their money.