Faith-based health care plans are religious-oriented alternatives to standard health care. Health care sharing ministries offer plans that operate with exemption from the mandates of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Faith-based plans do not function as insurance policies, instead, operating as health care sharing among large groups of people. When one member falls ill or needs treatment for an injury, their contributions cover the expenses, in conjunction with the collective input of other members. The law does not require faith-based plans to accommodate essential health benefits stipulated under the ACA. Members of faith-based plans have been exempt from the individual mandate penalty.
Christian health care sharing ministries usually cover the costs of hospital care, emergency operations, prescription medicine, as well as medical tests vital to the health, mobility, and survival of faith-adhering members. As such, a faith-based policy will generally cover costs like:
Acute injuries:
Acute injuries like sprained wrists dislocated shoulders, pulled muscles and sprained ankles which are the result of singular traumatic force are usually covered.
Illness:
For members who come down with rare illnesses as well as common ones like the cold and flu during winter months, the coverage will pay for treatment and prescription medication.
Physical therapy:
If you have an injury that leaves you bed-ridden and immobile for a while, the coverage will pay for the therapy that can help you regain movement.
Maternity costs:
Faith-based policies usually cover maternity costs. Health care ministries support expecting members by covering the expensive prenatal and birthing costs.
Ambulance costs:
Ambulance rides can be costly for the uninsured. A faith-based policy will cover the cost of the ambulance ride in case of an accident or conditional bout that requires immediate hospital care.
Hospital stays:
If you suffer an injury or surgery and need to undergo inpatient treatment for any length of time, your membership in a faith-based plan will cover the costs of your hospital stay.
Dental and vision care:
If you get an optical or dental injury in the course of an accident, a faith-based plan will cover the costs of your eye and tooth care, as long as the accident did not result from activities of a morally questionable nature.
Doctor-recommended tests:
If your doctor recommends a test you need to undergo to examine an illness, a faith-based plan will cover the expenses. Your faith-based program membership will pay for the X-rays, as well as the treatment and hospital care.
Injury-related expenses:
For those who are uninsured, some of the steepest health-related costs stem from accidents. A faith-based plan will help pay for your medical expenses as well as hospital stay and physical therapy to aid in your recovery.