Myth #7: Health insurance=health care

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 that dispel those myths.

Myth #7: Health insurance=health care.

OK, this isn’t a myth about health care sharing ministries, but it’s pretty closely related and a common misconception we run into with people just learning about Samaritan.

Health insurance and health care are not synonymous. Health care is obtaining a service from a medical provider. Health insurance is contracting with a third party to pay for those services. Just because you don’t have health insurance doesn’t mean you don’t have health care. This was recently confirmed by the president of the Massachusetts Medical Society, Dr. Alice Coombs, who told the Associated Press that “insurance coverage doesn’t equal access to care.” She was referring to the long wait time for patients in Massachusetts to see a primary care doctor thanks to that state’s mandate that individuals purchase insurance. (Now that someone else was paying for it, suddenly more visits to doctors are wanted, while at the same time doctors are moving away from Massachusetts due to problems caused by the state’s health care law.)

Being part of a health care sharing ministry allows you to bypass the third parties. You deal directly with a medical provider and directly with the HCSM. It’s a little bit more responsibility on your end, but that’s not a bad thing. You’re able to see the cost of care you’re getting, thus helping you to be a better patient and steward of God’s provision. One of the problems in health care today is that patients with health insurance are generally ignorant of the costs of medical care. Self-pay patients, including those who are members of health care sharing ministries, can make better decisions about their health care because they become better informed about the process and costs.