Paying out-of-pocket for medical care can quickly burn a hole in your wallet, which is why you may either have a health plan in place or be looking for one.
But if you don’t already have health insurance, you’ll most likely have to wait until the fall before enrolling in a plan, depending on the type of insurance you wish to secure. Medicare and individual plans under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are restricted to “open enrollment” periods for Americans to either enroll in a plan or make changes to an existing one. So what are you supposed to do in the meantime?
Traditional health insurance plans are restrictive in many ways, including the time period in which you can apply. Even if you already have health insurance but are looking to modify it, you can only do so during the limited period of time that open enrollment offers, unless you have what is deemed a “qualifying life event” that allows you to make changes at other times of the year. Once that window of opportunity closes, you’ll have no choice but to wait until open enrollment in the following year.
If that doesn’t sound like that kind of freedom of choice you want, you can take a completely different route to manage the cost of medical care through membership with a health sharing ministry.
Health Sharing Ministries Have No Open Enrollment Restrictions
There are several reasons why you might want to make the switch to a health sharing ministry, and the flexibility of enrollment timing is one of them. Members of health sharing ministries do not have to wait for a specific time of the year to enroll in a program or make changes to an existing one.
Instead, health sharing ministries are always open for enrollment, giving you more time and breathing space to make a decision about the type of program to choose without rushing to get into a program before an enrollment window closes.
Not only that, but health sharing ministries offer more in the way of flexibility in terms of providers to entrust with your healthcare. Whereas typical health insurance plans require that members visit a healthcare practitioner listed under the plan’s sometimes limited network of professionals in order for the plan to cover costs, members of health sharing ministries typically have the freedom to choose from a nationwide network of providers without worrying about whether or not their provider is “in-network.”
Further, members of health sharing ministries can realize significant savings. Members of Christian health sharing programs often save as much as 30% to 40% compared to the average cost of premiums charged by health insurance companies.
To find a health sharing program that will work for you and your family, get in touch with a USHealthShare representative today and share the health.
