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Christian Care Ministry is a

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

based in

Melbourne, Florida Melbourne ( ) is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is located southeast of Orlando, Florida, Orlando along Florida's Space Coast, named because of the region's proximity to Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center. The city ...

. It was founded by Dr. E John Reinhold in 1993 as a division of the American Evangelistic Association (AEA), with the goal of providing what it calls "biblical healthcare solutions" for

Christians A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...

. Medi-Share's affordable healthcare plan is exempt from the mandate to purchase

health insurance Health insurance or medical insurance (also known as medical aid in South Africa) is a type of insurance that covers the whole or a part of the risk of a person incurring medical expenses. As with other types of insurance, risk is shared among ma ...

under the

Individual Mandate An individual mandate is a requirement by law for certain persons to purchase or otherwise obtain a good or service. United States Militia act The Militia Acts of 1792, based on the Constitution's militia clause (in addition to its affirmative ...

of the

Affordable Care Act The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and informally as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Presid ...

. With a program membership population of 317,576 (as of October 2017), Christian Care Ministry currently operates in all US states. Since 1993, members of the organization have shared and discounted medical expenses amounting to more than $2.1 billion. The common thread running through all of Christian Care Ministry's programs is the emphasis on a "healthy Biblical lifestyle." Christian Care Ministry is recognized by the

American Heart Association The American Heart Association (AHA) is a nonprofit organization in the United States that funds cardiovascular medical research, educates consumers on healthy living and fosters appropriate Heart, cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability ...

as a Gold-Level Fit-Friendly Company. Along with Samaritan Ministries and Christian Healthcare Ministries, Christian Care Ministry represents one of the three largest Christian healthcare sharing ministries in the U.S.

History

Christian Care Ministry was formed in 1993 when E. John Reinhold, a member of the AEA, decided to formalize the casual medical bill sharing process that existed among some of the association's members. Dr. Reinhold established guidelines for the sharing of members’ medical bills. That same year, he moved his family to

, where Christian Care Ministry is still based today.

Healthcare bill-sharing program

In order to participate in Christian Care Ministry's bill sharing program, members must identify as Christians, ascribe to the company's Statement of Faith, and be active members of a church community.

Medi-Share

Medi-Share is the main focus of Christian Care Ministry and has been the primary service of Christian Care Ministry since 1993. It is a Christian healthcare system of medical bill sharing. However, Medi-Share is not insurance, and not all medical conditions are eligible for sharing. Participants pay an AHP (Annual Household Portion) toward their own medical costs; expenses beyond this are eligible for sharing among the ministry's membership. As of 2005, Medi-Share has grown to more than 60,000 members who share millions of dollars annually to pay one another's medical bills.

Eligibility

Medi-Share is not insurance and does not guarantee that the medical costs of its members will be shared. Claims for certain conditions will not be paid, such as those caused by the use of

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

in any form, the use of

illegal drug The prohibition of drugs through sumptuary legislation or religious law is a common means of attempting to prevent the recreational use of certain intoxicating substances. An area has a prohibition of drugs when its government uses the for ...

s, the abuse of legal medications or

alcohol Alcohol may refer to: Common uses * Alcohol (chemistry), a class of compounds * Ethanol, one of several alcohols, commonly known as alcohol in everyday life ** Alcohol (drug), intoxicant found in alcoholic beverages ** Alcoholic beverage, an alco ...

, "sexual relations outside of a Biblical Christian marriage", and "participation in activities that represent a willful disregard for personal safety".Program Guidelines: Medi-Share 65+
. ''Medi-Share''. Retrieved May 3, 2024. Additionally, claims for certain medical services will not be paid, such as

birth control Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth control only be ...

infertility treatment Assisted reproductive technology (ART) includes medical procedures used primarily to address infertility. This subject involves procedures such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and cryopreservation of gamet ...

vasectomies Vasectomy is an elective surgical procedure that results in male sterilization, often as a means of permanent contraception. During the procedure, the male vasa deferentia are cut and tied or sealed so as to prevent sperm from entering into th ...

tubal ligation Tubal ligation (commonly known as having one's "tubes tied") is a surgical procedure for female sterilization in which the fallopian tubes are permanently blocked, clipped or removed. This prevents the fertilization of eggs by sperm and thus the ...

, and more than 100 days of skilled nursing facility care.

Legality

In 2002, Christian Care's Medi-Share bill-sharing program was challenged by some states’ insurance regulators due to its status as a Christian healthcare organization. 43 states have inquired about the legality of the program, and in some cases, legal action has been taken. A series of court cases in

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

resulted from the specific way in which Medi-Share processed members’ shares and disbursed payments. Changes have since been made to the Medi-Share system to bring it into line with state regulations and to maintain the organization's non-insurance status. As of June 25, 2013, the court ruled that Medi-Share was allowed to operate in Kentucky. Medi-Share operates legally in 50 states, with state disclosures specific to

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, and

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

Exemption from the Affordable Care Act Mandate

Medi-Share program membership numbers have seen an increase, which may be related to the Individual Mandate of the Affordable Care Act, which initially required that all individuals in the U.S. have health insurance by 2014 or face tax penalties. This mandate has been since repealed federally, although it still stands in some states that have their own state healthcare exchange. Medi-Share members, like those of other healthcare sharing organizations, are exempt from the Individual Mandate and are not required to purchase health insurance. When healthcare reform was up for debate in 2010, public interest in faith based bill-sharing programs like Medi-Share grew by 150 percent. Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, Medi-Share membership rates have risen. Prior to passage of the ACA, annual membership grew at a rate of 10 percent per year. Since the bill's passage, Medi-Share membership has increased by 15 percent per year.

References

External links

*{{official website, http://mychristiancare.org/ Non-profit organizations based in Florida Christian organizations based in the United States Medical and health organizations based in Florida Organizations established in 1993