Frequently Asked Questions

Proration is a process we use when a month has more eligible bills than Shares available. We help to balance out this discrepancy through prorating, where we reduce what is shared based on the amount of funds the community has available.

As an example, if there are $10 million in eligible bills but only $9.8 million in Shares, then those bills would be shared at 98 percent (a 2 percent proration).

We don’t like to reduce the amount shared, but prorating functions as a “pressure release valve” where no one has to bear too much of the burden caused by rising medical costs.

Prorating allows your Needs to be shared in a timely way and also helps to lower the risk of our community running a large deficit when there are more Needs than available Shares. This balancing of Needs and Shares allows us to continue sharing your Needs without interruption, even if at a slightly reduced rate, and has been part of the Need-sharing process throughout Samaritan’s 30-year history.

You are invited to donate to the Member Assistance Fund to help members whose Needs have been affected by proration. We’ve been encouraged by your gracious giving in the past. Your donations are an affirmation of God's goodness and a heartwarming testimony to the love members have for one another.

Donations to the Member Assistance Fund are tax deductible and can be made through MinistryLinq at samaritanministries.org/donate.

Online: You can find out how prorating affected your Need by checking the Need Progress  bar on the Overview page of your Need in your Dashboard.

Paper: If you opted to receive notifications by postal mail, you can see if your Need was impacted on the Checklist we mailed to you. You are welcome to request a Need Status Update for further details on your specific Need.

Start by signing in to the Dashboard to see how much your Need was affected. Often the prorated amount is less than you might expect.

We know that our Heavenly Father—the Creator of all things—is our ultimate provider and the only one with the resources to meet every need, whether large or small.

Finally, know the Body of Christ will be lifting you up in prayer, and we are asking fellow members to donate to the Member Assistance Fund to help you. In the months following proration, you may request assistance through this fund.

Beginning January 1, 2024, we'll waive the initial unshareable amount and any future prorated amount for Needs where a documented fair price was achieved!

Fair-price documentation submitted prior to January 1, 2024, will remain eligible for the previous reward—a $250 check.

View our fair-price reward FAQ page for more details!

Only Needs in Samaritan™ Classic originally submitted before September 1, 2020, can offset proration by discounts.

However, we have some wonderful news! Beginning January 1, 2024, we'll waive any future prorated amount for Needs where a documented fair price was achieved!

Learn more about the fair-price reward and find answers to frequently asked questions about it.

Yes, there are guidelines in effect so that no one member bears too much of the impact of proration.

The maximum prorated amount is $2,500. (This applies to Needs created in Classic on or after September 1, 2020, and applies to the entire Need and not for each prorated month. See Guidelines Section VI.D.2.a. “Maximum Prorated Amount” for more information.)

As a qualified health care sharing ministry under the federal Affordable Care Act and a non-profit corporation, it is important that Samaritan Ministries not assume transfer of risk for its members or make any guarantee of payment. It is also an important part of financial management, accountability, and transparency in communication and in serving our members with integrity.

There’s a lot that Samaritan members and staff are already doing to fight rising medical costs on behalf of the entire membership, and these efforts have made a significant impact, including:

• Through your participation in the fair-price reward, in the last fiscal year alone, Samaritan members achieved over $8 million in additional savings above what a typical member-obtained discount would be for those same Needs, all while getting access to quality health care.
• Our Provider Relations Department began negotiating on Needs in 2020 and has saved members over $100 million since 2021.

When you have a medical Need, use Healthcare Bluebook™ to get a fair price. You can find a fair price provider and learn more about Healthcare Bluebook (HCBB) services on Dash or by calling 855-286-3663 and speaking directly with HCBB.

No. Share amounts are based upon the amount of eligible bills compared to Shares available, not on administrative costs.

The administrative expense budget is prepared by management to meet the needs of the members and is approved by the member-led Board. In addition, there is an independent audit of revenues and expenditures performed each year and reported to the Board for financial accountability. For more information, please read about our Best Practices and Commitment to Sustainability and Transparency.