Healthcare and insurance options may not seem like an obvious topic for a homeschool blogger, but I want to share our experience with Christian Healthcare Ministries. I know that many homeschooling families are single-income homes, and insurance prices have skyrocketed over the last few years.
When I first left my job to be a stay-at-home mom, we were able to provide insurance for my children and myself for about $200 a month. However, prices have been rising, and when we last priced “traditional” insurance for our family, it would cost us $1600 a month with a $13,000 deductible. This was more than we could afford to spend, and we were very stressed about how we would afford insurance or what would happen if there was a major event and we were uninsured, and at the time, we did not want to be penalized for not having health insurance.
As I researched options, I found several healthcare-sharing ministries. After careful research, we chose to join Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM). They have several plans to choose from at very affordable rates. The most expensive plan they have is only about $500 a month for the whole family, but we chose their least expensive plan and only pay just over $200 per month. Their plans are set up on a per-unit basis, with each adult being an individual unit and all the children in your household being one unit together. This makes it great savings for families of multiple children.
What is Covered?
With a health care sharing plan, most regular doctor’s visits are not covered. (However, we save way more each month than we usually spend on doctor visits in the course of the year.) These plans cover larger events such as hospital stays, pregnancies, surgery, etc. You are considered a self-pay patient, meaning you are responsible for paying or setting up a payment plan and then filing with the ministry for reimbursement. However, it also means that you get a self-pay discount at most doctors and hospitals and that you do not have to worry about finding an in-network provider. You can use any doctor or hospital that you choose.
Bonus Benefit
I wanted to update this post because CHM has added a wonderful benefit to the program. We now have FREE access to a telehealth program. This means that we can see a telehealth doctor and get diagnosis and treatment information via telehealth for free. While this is not the solution to all problems, it has been a wonderful benefit for our family. We have used this program for issues such as swimmers’ ear, impetigo, and more. (Updated 10/21/22)
Who Does CHM Work For?
This plan may not be right for everyone. There are limits to coverage for pre-existing conditions, prescriptions, etc. However, if you are worried about being able to afford insurance, are a fairly healthy family, or just want to be a part of a group of Christians that are supporting other Christians, it might be a good fit for you. I highly encourage you to check out Christian Healthcare Ministries. I highly recommend them because they have been and continue to be a blessing to our family. If you choose to join through my link, I do get a free month of our membership. Once you are a member, you will have the opportunity to share with friends and get the same benefit. I would not recommend them if I did not really believe in the program.
Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure
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