Interest in Samaritan Ministries up following SCOTUS decision on health care
By Mike Miller · Jul 11, 2012
Samaritan Ministries sent out this press release last week:
Interest in Samaritan Ministries International health care sharing ministry has increased substantially since the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision on the federal health care law June 28.
Samaritan Ministries is assuring current and prospective members that health care sharing still satisfies the individual mandate contained in the health care law recently upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. Under the Affordable Care Act, members of health care sharing ministries will not have to purchase health insurance covering things that are morally wrong for Christians.
That’s one of the reasons Christians continue to join HCSMs at a rapid pace. Samaritan Ministries recently passed the 21,000-household mark.
“If you don’t want to be forced to purchase health insurance, supporting things that violate your Christian conscience, you can join a health care sharing ministry,” said James Lansberry, executive vice president of Samaritan and president of the Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries.
He called health care sharing “a refuge for people of Biblical faith.”
Health care sharing leaders at Samaritan and elsewhere remain concerned about coverage mandates resulting from the law that require employers to offer contraception even if it violates their religious beliefs.
The Supreme Court decision also has made it clear that the justices are allowing the elected representatives of the people to make decisions, so it is more important than ever for people to work for and elect officials who do not oppose their beliefs.