Why SMI? Carole Novielli says it's an investment in a person

Carole Novielli battles abortion through Live Action

Carole Novielli doesn’t look at her monthly Samaritan Ministries Share as money she may need for herself someday, as health insurance customers do. Instead, she sees it as an investment in a person.

“I look at my Share as an investment into those people who are going through a certain trial and are members of the Body of Christ,” she said.

She also experienced the blessing on the receiving end. Not long after joining Samaritan Ministries in 2017, Carole, a research fellow at Live Action, submitted her first—and so far, only—medical need.

She wasn't feeling well and asked a friend at the local fire station to check her blood pressure. He told her it was at “stroke level.” She was taken to the hospital and kept overnight for observation.

“I learned a lot about things your body needs—like magnesium, potassium, and hydration,” she said. “That experience led to my one and only submitted need so far, and it was such an amazing time just getting the letters, cards, and reading those beautiful notes.”

Before joining Samaritan, Carole was temporarily using insurance through the Affordable Care Act, but it didn’t work well for her.

“It was very pricey for me,” she said. “I got a job quickly after signing up, and they took away all my income-based deductions. I had to pay the difference and decided I wanted to be part of Samaritan. To me, this is the true way the Body of Christ should care for one another. I see it as an offering, except when I submit a need. So, to me, it’s not like insurance.”

Carole also appreciates the support she finds in the Samaritan Facebook Community Group. After asking members for help managing a certain health condition without insurance, she found her need met again—this time through shared wisdom and experience.

“There are so many amazing things you can learn—where to get bloodwork, what to do,” she said. “The way members help and encourage each other, having gone through similar things, is just incredible.”

Carole’s experience reflects the heart of Samaritan Ministries: believers sharing one another’s burdens in loving, tangible ways that reflect the Gospel of Christ.

“Just to see the Body of Christ come together, this is the way it should be.”