Christian Care Ministry

Christian Care Ministry, Inc.
Founded 1993
Founder John Reinhold
Type non-profit Christian Ministry
Focus Healthcare, Wellness, Christianity
Location
  • Melbourne, FL
Origins Acts 2:42-47
Area served
 United States, with specific disclosures for IL, KS, KY, ME, MD, MO, PA, TX, WI, MT
Products PrayerStream, TradeStream, CareStream, ShareStream
Services Medi-Share, Manna, Restore
Method Prayer, Mission, Health Coaching
Members
 c. 151,324
Key people
 President & Chief Executive Officer Tony Meggs, Chief Operating Officer Chu Soh
Employees
 c. 266
Mission "To connect and equip Christians to carry each other's everyday burdens"
JOHN C. STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. (Aug. 31, 2011) Civilians and Sailors assigned to the John C. Stennis Space Center load nearly a ton of food to be delivered to Christian Care Ministries in Picayune, Miss., supporting the 3rd annual Feds Feed Families food drive. (U.S. Navy photo/Released)

Christian Care Ministry is a not-for-profit organization based in Melbourne, Florida.[1] It was founded by Dr. E John Reinhold in 1993 as a division of the American Evangelistic Association (AEA) with the goal of providing biblical healthcare solutions for Christians.[2] The organization manages four programs centered on biblical health and wellness; Medi-Share, Manna, Healthy Church and Restore. In September 2012 the organization introduced PrayerStream, a free social networking resource that allows users to instantly share prayer requests worldwide.[3] The organization’s main focus is their family healthcare program Medi-Share, a medical bill sharing system based on principles from the Bible as outlined in Galatians 6:2.[4] Medi-Share has attracted many consumers as a form of affordable healthcare that is exempt from the mandate to purchase health insurance under the Individual Mandate of the Affordable Care Act.[5] With a program membership population of 151,324 as of May 2015, Christian Care Ministry currently operates in all US states except for Montana.[6] Since 1993, members of the organization have shared medical expenses amounting to more than $1.095 Billion.[7] The common thread running through all of Christian Care Ministry’s programs is the emphasis on a healthy Biblical lifestyle. Christian Care Ministry is recognized by the American Heart Association as a Gold Level Fit-Friendly Company.[8] Along with Samaritan Ministries and Christian Healthcare Ministries, Christian Care Ministry represents one of the three largest Christian healthcare sharing ministries in the U.S.[9]

History

Christian Care Ministry began in 1993 when E. John Reinhold, a member of the AEA, decided to formalize the casual medical bill sharing process that existed among some of the association’s membership. Working in his garage and home, Dr. Reinhold established guidelines for the sharing of members’ medical bills. That same year, he moved his family to Melbourne, Florida, where Christian Care Ministry is still based today.[10] The current president and CEO of Christian Care Ministry is Tony Meggs, who has led the organization since April 2011.[11]

Healthcare Bill-Sharing Program

In order to participate in Christian Care Ministry’s bill sharing program, members must be Christians who ascribe to the Statement of Faith and are active members of a church community.

Medi-Share

Medi-Share is the main focus of Christian Care Ministry. It is a Christian healthcare system of medical bill sharing. However, Medi-Share is not insurance and not all medical conditions are eligible for sharing.[12] Participants pay an AHP, or Annual Household Portion toward their own medical costs; expenses beyond this are eligible for sharing among the ministry’s membership. As of 2015, Medi-Share has grown to over 151,000 members who share millions of dollars annually to pay one another’s medical bills.[13] The central theme of Christian Care Ministry is ‘connecting and equipping Christians to carry each other’s everyday burdens.’[14] The guiding principles of Medi-Share are biblical and based on teachings found in the New Testament, particularly those found in Galatians 6:2. Galatians 6:2 states: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”[15]

Eligibility

Medi-Share allows members to help each other with medical bills, with the goal of providing a true example of Christian healthcare. However, Medi-Share is not insurance and does not guarantee that the medical costs of its members will be shared. Certain conditions are excluded, particularly those that arise as the result of a lifestyle that does not meet the guidelines of the organization, such as drug or alcohol abuse, or extramarital sex.[16] Many members find that Medi-Share helps them meet their family healthcare needs at a significantly lower cost than health insurance.[17]

Legality

In 2002, Christian Care’s Medi-Share bill-sharing program was challenged by some states’ insurance regulators due to its status as a Christian healthcare organization.[18] 43 states have inquired about the legality of the program, and in some cases legal action was taken.[19] A series of court cases in Kentucky resulted from the specific way in which Medi-Share processed members’ shares and disbursed payments.[20] Changes have since been made to the Medi-Share system to bring it into line with state regulations and to maintain the organization’s non-insurance status. As of June 25, 2013, the court ruled that Medi-Share was allowed to operate in Kentucky.[21] Medi-Share operates legally in 49 states, except for Montana, and with state disclosures specific to Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin.[22]

Exemption from the Affordable Care Act

Medi-Share program membership numbers have seen an increase which may be related to the Individual Mandate of the Affordable Care Act, which requires that all individuals in the U.S. have health insurance by 2014 or face tax penalties.[23] Medi-Share members, like those of other healthcare sharing organizations, are exempt from the Individual Mandate and are not required to purchase health insurance.[24] When healthcare reform was up for debate in 2010, public interest in faith-based bill sharing programs like Medi-Share grew by 150 percent.[25] Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act Medi-Share membership rates have risen. Prior to passage of the ACA, annual membership grew at a rate of ten percent per year.[26] Since the bill’s passage, Medi-Share membership is up 15 percent per year.[27]

References

  1. ↑ Henriques, Diana (October 20, 2006). "Ministry’s Medical Program Is Not Regulated". New York Times. New York Times. Retrieved 2013-09-26.
  2. ↑ American Evangelistic Association: "History of the American Evangelistic Association"
  3. ↑ Demoss: "Tech-Savvy Christians Track Prayers With Twitter-Like App"
  4. ↑ BibleGateway
  5. ↑ "Affordable Care Tax Provisions". IRS.gov. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  6. ↑ My Christian Care: "Disclosures"
  7. ↑ Facebook: "My Christian Care"
  8. ↑ "Fit Friendly Companies Gold Award Recognition" (PDF). Start Walking Now. American Heart Association. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  9. ↑ Metcalf, Nancy. "Should we sign up for a ‘health-care sharing ministry’?". Consumer Reports News. Consumer Reports. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  10. ↑ "15 Years of Sharing and Caring" (PDF). Helping One Another. My Christian Care. Oct 2008. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  11. ↑ "Bio: Tony Meggs". Demoss.
  12. ↑ Sutherly, Ben (February 18, 2013). "Ministries step in for health-care coverage for uninsured". The Columbus Dispatch.
  13. ↑ Boodman, Sandra (25 October 2005). "Seeking Divine Protection". The Washington Post. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  14. ↑ "Medi-Share is....". My Christian Care. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  15. ↑ Bible Gateway
  16. ↑ Andrews, Michelle (June 25, 2008). "A Christian Approach to Covering Healthcare". U.S. News and World Report. U.S. News and World Report. Retrieved 2013-09-26.
  17. ↑ Griffith, Wendy. "Medi-Share: A Bible-based Health Care Option". CBN News. The Christian Broadcasting Network. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  18. ↑ "Results from the Challenge By the Commonwealth of Kentucky" (PDF). AEA Ministry Spotlight. AEA Ministries. 2003. p. 3. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  19. ↑ Sloan, Rhonda (Sep 12, 2002). "Update regarding E. John Reinhold, American Evangelistic Association, Christian Care Ministry and Medi-Share Sept. 12, 2002" (PDF). Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  20. ↑ Jasper, Kelly (Jan 2, 2012). "Christian health-care sharing grows in popularity". The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
  21. ↑ Mains, Brian (June 25, 2013). "Medi-Share, health insurance for Christians, returns to Kentucky". WCPO Digital. KY Post. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  22. ↑ My Christian Care: "Disclosures"
  23. ↑ Nazworth, Nap (Sep 20, 2013). "Christian Health Sharing Programs Exempt From 'Obamacare' See Rapid Growth". The Christian Post. The Christian Post. Retrieved 2013-09-26.
  24. ↑ Rudavsky, Shari (July 8, 2012). "Health care sharing ministries offer insurance alternative". The Indianapolis Star. USA Today. Retrieved 2013-09-26.
  25. ↑ Brenoff, Ann (June 25, 2010). "Christian medical-bill sharing a growing trend". Daily Finance. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  26. ↑ Bissonnette, Zac (August 8, 2013). "Opting-out of Obamacare through medical-sharing ministries". CNBC.com. CNBC. Retrieved 2013-09-26.
  27. ↑ Williams, Rebecca (February 15, 2013). "Health care sharing ministries set to grow under Obamacare". Knox News. Retrieved 26 September 2013.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, March 07, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.