Health care sharing Myth #1: You won’t be treated

From the beginning of health care sharing ministries, objections to the system have been raised that do not accurately reflect reality. To help clear up these misunderstandings, we’re running a series of posts over the next several weeks that dispel those myths.

Myth #1: Medical providers won’t treat me if I don’t have insurance.

Reality: This myth is disproven every month as Samaritan members share more than $4.3 million in medical needs. That sharing wouldn’t happen if there weren’t bills to submit. In other words, the fact that needs have been submitted means that members went to doctors or other health care providers, were treated, and received bills, which they then submitted for sharing.

When a health care provider asks about a member’s insurance, the member typically tells them they are “self-pay” or that they are members of a health care sharing ministry. The member is then billed directly and submits the statements to Samaritan. Occasionally a provider will request formal proof that a person belongs to SMI and we oblige by sending the provider a certificate of participation.

Because SMI’s processing and sharing time is almost always quicker than submitting to an insurance company, and the provider avoids insurance paperwork, providers come to appreciate SMI members.

Not only are our members treated despite not having insurance, but because of how need sharing works, Samaritan members actually have much more freedom to choose their medical providers. We have no “preferred provider” or other such system. We will share needs that meet the guidelines no matter where in the world—literally—that treatment was given.