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'Tis the Season for Health Sharing

Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom Educates Americans About Alternatives to Government Health Care, Including Health Sharing Organizations and the Compelling Stories Behind Them

ST. PAUL, Minn.—‘Tis the season to be sharing. And for some, that means health sharing.

Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF, http://www.cchfreedom.org) has long educated Americans about the alternatives to enrolling in a failing and costly government health care system. One growing option is health sharing—a concept that allows members to share in the cost of other member’s medical bills, and in turn, have their medical costs paid for as well.

And because health-sharing members are exempt from the Obamacare coverage mandate and penalties, membership has skyrocketed.

“Health sharing can be a wonderful way to get medical expenses paid and to avoid enrolling in costly and intrusive Obamacare coverage,” said Twila Brase, co-founder and president of CCHF, “Instead of racing to meet the open enrollment deadline-imposed penalties, individuals can simply join a health sharing community. Americans must be covered by January 1, 2016, or claim an exemption like health sharing.”

CCHF, a patient-centered national health freedom organization based in St. Paul, Minn., existing to protect health care choices, individualized patient care, and medical and genetic privacy rights, first reported on the three largest health sharing organizations nearly six years ago. At that time, says Brase, there were 42,000 members in Samaritan Ministries and 38,000 members in Medi-Share.

Samaritan Ministries now has 165,000 members and Medi-Share has 154,000 members, reports CCHF. In fact, Samaritan members share $15 million in members’ medical bills each month by sending their monthly share directly to a member in need.

“Health sharing is also beneficial because it allows members to avoid paying for certain things they may be morally opposed to,” Brase added, “And the stories of those helped by health sharing are so uplifting—much different than the horror stories we hear about the (Un)Affordable Care Act. Health sharing can be a very inexpensive and very personal alternative to traditional health insurance.”

For example, Floridians Phil and Kathy Robertson wrote in a letter to Samaritan Ministries, one of the largest health sharing organizations, “Praise God! What looked impossible 10 months ago has been accomplished. All bills connected with Philʼs colon cancer are paid in full.”

Added Tina Olson of Montana, “I have read every one of the thousands of cards I have received.”

And Mark and Carla of North Carolina, whose bill for a miscarriage could not be submitted but was offered to other members as an opportunity to donate, received five to 20 checks every day for several weeks—enough to pay the entire bill. (Read more Samaritan Ministries stories here: http://samaritanministries.org/testimonies.)

Likewise, in the Medi-Share program, where members also share each other’s medical bills, each member or member-household has a personal account at Americaʼs Christian Credit Union. Those accounts are used solely for depositing the member’s monthly share and for distribution of these shares into the accounts of members with medical bills eligible for sharing. Medi-Share has physicians that consult with patients to review treatment options, a program to enable better health and a bill negotiation team. (Read member letters at http://www.mychristiancare.org.)

Lastly, Christian Healthcare Ministries also shares medical bills among their members. For instance, on the group’s website, one couple from Oregon lists $97,000 in eligible bills, $58,000 in provider discounts and the remaining $39,000 paid by health sharing members. And the couple reports all medical bills have been paid. (To read more Christian Healthcare Ministries stories, visit http://www.chministries.org.)

Health sharing is one of nine exemptions available when opting out of Obamacare coverage, Brase added.

Brase recently dedicated an entire week to health sharing during CCHF’s daily, 60-second Health Freedom Minute radio feature. Heard on 367 stations nationwide, including 200 on the American Family Radio Network and 100 on the Bott Radio Network, Health Freedom Minute helps listeners learn more about the agenda behind health care initiatives, as well as steps they can take to protect their health care choices, rights and privacy.

Recent Health Freedom Minute topics have also included saying no to Obamacare bailouts, stopping the IRS from tracking donations, hopeful trends in healthcare and fraud in Obamacare exchanges. The one-minute program is free for stations to run; for details, contact Michael Hamilton at mhamilton@hamiltonstrategies.com or (610) 584-1096 or (215) 519-4838.

For more information about CCHF, visit its web site at http://www.cchfreedom.org, its Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/cchfreedom or its Twitter feed, @CCHFreedom.

Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom, a patient-centered national health freedom organization based in St. Paul, Minn., exists to protect health care choices, individualized patient care, and medical and genetic privacy rights. CCHF sponsors the daily, 60-second radio feature, Health Freedom Minute, which airs on approximately 350 stations nationwide, including 200 on the American Family Radio Network and 100 on the Bott Radio Network. Listeners can learn more about the agenda behind health care initiatives and steps they can take to protect their health care choices, rights and privacy.

CCHF president and co-founder Twila Brase, R.N., has been called one of the “100 Most Powerful People in Health Care” and one of “Minnesota’s 100 Most Influential Health Care Leaders.” A public health nurse, Brase has been interviewed by CNN, Fox News, Minnesota Public Radio, NBC Nightly News, NBC’s Today Show, NPR, New York Public Radio, the Associated Press, Modern Healthcare, TIME, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and The Washington Times, among others. She is at the forefront of informing the public of crucial health issues, such as intrusive wellness and prevention initiatives in Obamacare, patient privacy, informed consent, the dangers of “evidence-based medicine” and the implications of state and federal health care reform.

 

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