NOT a political post but a legit question

[TampaHound]

A few years ago Health Cost Sharing programs become a big thing because a lot of people didn't want to deal with the ACA and the individual mandate.

I know a lot of Heath Cost Sharing programs were religious based and were able to skirt the rules somewhat because of that. My question is now that the individual mandate is gone, what would be the future of these groups? This is more for my knowledge than any particular reason.

Now I'm going to ask the near impossible of this group. Please avoid politics, personal opinion and religious beliefs in your answers. Thank you.

 

[Yagents]

If u don't want to hear personal, religious or political responses, then let it stand on it's own.............it's not insurance

 

[Yagents]

1/3rd owned to avoid penalty.
1/3rd owned as a full price ACA alternative.
1/3rd are core Kool aid drinkers.

 

[Life Hawk]

A few years ago Health Cost Sharing programs become a big thing because a lot of people didn't want to deal with the ACA and the individual mandate.

I know a lot of Heath Cost Sharing programs were religious based and were able to skirt the rules somewhat because of that. My question is now that the individual mandate is gone, what would be the future of these groups? This is more for my knowledge than any particular reason.

Now I'm going to ask the near impossible of this group. Please avoid politics, personal opinion and religious beliefs in your answers. Thank you.

This may not be a popular response but... these organizations where around before the the administration... they will continue to be around (bar some law) because they have an appeal to a portion of the public.

The groups have a financial appeal... but also often mirror the ideas and beliefs of their participants.

 

[TampaHound]

This may not be a popular response but... these organizations where around before the the administration... they will continue to be around (bar some law) because they have an appeal to a portion of the public.

The groups have a financial appeal... but also often mirror the ideas and beliefs of their participants.

I only ask because I've been looking into them recently. Basically it is "insurance" without all the rules and regulations and I personally don't like the religious requirements. I was asked by friends to look into it for them.

Frankly I told my friends NOT to do it. They ignored my advice. I guess I'm just curious about the strength and legitimacy of these groups.

 

[sshafran]

I only ask because I've been looking into them recently. Basically it is "insurance" without all the rules and regulations and I personally don't like the religious requirements. I was asked by friends to look into it for them.

Frankly I told my friends NOT to do it. They ignored my advice. I guess I'm just curious about the strength and legitimacy of these groups.

They pay the bills if it's within the guidelines for "sharing." They don't if it's not. Pretty straightforward...

 

[somarco]

Some of the sharing groups have been around for 20 yrs or longer . . . before Obamacare. Prior to 2014 I suspect many enrolled in these plans because of the values of the members, perhaps a distrust of insurance carriers, and the idea that these plans don't cover diseases caused by sins.

Membership exploded in 2014 because Obamacare raised premiums so much that the sharing plans were actually affordable where Obamacare was not. All of the plans I am familiar with had ties to religious principles or organizations prior to 2014.

Seems like some of the newer ones are not as strict in their entrance requirements.

You can call it insurance if you want but it is not. There is no oversight, no regulation and no guarantee providers will accept your plan.

I was in my doctor's office last month and a sign on the glass listed plans they would not accept. In addition to Medicaid and many MA plans they have now added "sharing" plans with an asterisk indicating they are NOT insurance.

No doubt with the mandate effectively going away some will drop insurance they currently have. Likewise some will drop their sharing program and go bare.

You can't fix stupid.

 

[YouGotMyMoney]

You can't fix stupid.

The Wisdom of the Ages...

I see nothing has changed in over a decade, before Obamacare you would run into IFP leads who just signed up for a $0 deductible Mini-Med, and they thought they had insurance.

Truth of the matter is, people who sign up for Mini-Med's are "Kool Aid" drinkers, same with any person who would sign up for a "Christian Share" plan. Same damn thing, "Kool Aid drinkers".

 

[leevena]

The Wisdom of the Ages...

I see nothing has changed in over a decade, before Obamacare you would run into IFP leads who just signed up for a $0 deductible Mini-Med, and they thought they had insurance.

Truth of the matter is, people who sign up for Mini-Med's are "Kool Aid" drinkers, same with any person who would sign up for a "Christian Share" plan. Same damn thing, "Kool Aid drinkers".

It never ceases to amaze me how passionate so many of you are against these share programs. (I do not know anyone in these plans, nor do I know anyone who sells them.) But the abuse heaped upon these people is appalling. Sure it is not insurance, but why criticize them for THEIR free choice? Why must someone with opposing viewpoints be demonized?

 

[LostDollar]

It never ceases to amaze me how passionate so many of you are against these share programs. (I do not know anyone in these plans, nor do I know anyone who sells them.) But the abuse heaped upon these people is appalling. Sure it is not insurance, but why criticize them for THEIR free choice? Why must someone with opposing viewpoints be demonized?

Perhaps because they (the "share programs") basically co-mingle the concepts of sharing money and sharing risk and then use very strong emotional associations to cause consumers to "buy into" something which they really do not understand the technicalities of.