Newsletter contributor Marshall Allen dies

Samaritan Ministries leaders were saddened to learn of the sudden passing of Marshall Allen, author of the book Never Pay the First Bill.

The 52-year-old journalist died on May 19, a few days after suffering a heart attack.

He leaves behind a wife, Sonja, and their three sons, Isaac, Ashton, and Cody.

Marshall’s work was frequently featured or referenced in the Samaritan Ministries Christian Health Care Newsletter. In one, he spotlighted a Samaritan family who had questioned an estimate for their son’s surgery, and, in another, he taught the need to always get an itemized bill.

“Marshall will be missed,” said Steve Bassett, Samaritan’s vice president for Strategic Services. “He was a rare Christian journalist who fought for patients that were victims of unfair medical billing practices. He volunteered a great deal of his time loving his neighbors by fighting injustice in medical billing.”

The one-time Pulitzer Prize finalist was not only an accomplished journalist but a devoted Christian as well. He began his career in Young Life, serving three years with the ministry in Kenya. He also earned a master’s in theology at Fuller Theological Seminary and wrote for Christian outlets, including Christianity Today and Boundless, a Focus on the Family publication.

His most recent efforts can be found in his Allen Health Academy Substack newsletter and on his website.