Maternity sharing at Samaritan has been extremely generous. This is because we love families, and we love supporting them. Over the years, maternity sharing has become the highest percentage of costs within the ministry. We can look at this as a good thing—so many Shares are going to support babies and families! That is really encouraging! Little ones and their families are so important to the Lord, and it has always been such an honor to rejoice with them and serve them.

However, the reality of health care costs requires us to make some changes we believe will help Samaritan be sustainable. Within the surveys we sent to Samaritan members, we specifically asked about maternity sharing and some of the cost factors we are all facing. Considering that maternity costs are the highest percentage, members we surveyed agreed taking a fresh look at maternity sharing would be good for the entire membership.

Here are a few things to note about home birth and VBAC Needs started on or after November 1, 2024:

• We will waive the IUA on home birth and VBAC Needs.
• They will not be subject to future proration.
• They will still have a co-share—30% in Classic and 10% in Basic.
• Other guidelines will be the same as other birth scenarios.

Members who plan to use a birthing center or hospital can pursue the Samaritan fair-price reward. Please see the Samaritan Fair-Price Reward page for details.

Whether the maternity Need is in Classic or Basic, these are the guidelines for complications.

Complications during the pregnancy

Any complications for either the mother or the baby during the pregnancy will be handled as part of the maternity Need.

Complications or medical issues during the birth or after the birth

• Mother. Any complications of the mother that are a result of the pregnancy or birth will be handled as part of the maternity Need for 90 days after the birth. After that, a non-maternity Need can be started for the medical issue.
• Baby. After the birth, we will share one well-baby visit as part of the maternity Need. Otherwise, if the baby has a medical issue, a new non-maternity Need specifically for the baby can be started, as long as the baby is added as a member.

When a member has a stillbirth or miscarriage, our top priority is ministering to the member.

• In Classic, the Need will be handled as a non-maternity Need, which has no co-share and has the standard $750 IUA.
• In Basic, the Need will be handled as a non-maternity Need without the $5,000 maternity maximum shareable limit. The co-share for any Need in Basic is 10% and the IUA is $1,500.

This chart provides a comparison of maternity Need features under the new guidelines in Classic and the guidelines in Basic:

Here are two examples that show how maternity sharing under the new guidelines in Classic and the guidelines in Basic compare.

The first example assumes an eligible bill total of $10,000. The second example assumes an eligible bill total of $16,000.

Please note: Neither of these examples includes discounts or the fair-price reward. These examples are intended to provide a simple comparison with round dollar amounts.