Samaritan Ministries International

Samaritan Ministries exists to encourage Christians to bear one another's burdens in the area of health care. By praying for one another, and asking God's favor and healing, as well as by sharing the financial burden, we seek God's glory and the good of our brethren.

Situation

Hope for a medical free market is stifled by pressure from social and fiscal liberalism which encourages intrusive government regulation of medical services as well as a socialistic/welfare model of providing for those services. Patients are also discouraged from free market practices such as price comparison when third party payors are involved. We believe empowering the patient/consumer in the process of shopping for the right medical care at the right price ensures a healthy market.

Solution

Members of Samaritan Ministries join together to assist one another in bearing the financial burden of medical needs. The central offices coordinate the process of monthly giving, communicate prayer requests, keep members accountable to one another, and encourage members to be responsible consumers as they seek medical care and negotiate payment for those services.

Members who are responsible for their own bills approach their medical providers as wise consumers: requesting itemized bills, researching treatment options, negotiating price-for-service, and writing a check for the services provided. Healthcare isn't a "right" to a responsible consumer, but an economic commodity in a free system of exchange, with the patient as a customer with real choice in the matter. Samaritan Ministries does not rely on government funds or insurance to help its members in the work of helping one another.

Better Health and Lower Costs

The annual average cost of a family's monthly share while participating with Samaritan Ministries has never exceeded $3420 in 13 years. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation the average annual premium for family coverage was $10,880 in 2005. Members are in control of how they spend their health care dollars and as a result are receiving the same care as the insured at a third of the cost. Unfortunately even though health care sharing ministry members save on their monthly share amounts, they are charged for health care services at a much higher rate than the insured.