The ColoHealth Health & Wealth Newsletter
December 2021
Vol. 11, Issue 17

Healthshare Comparison: Zion vs. MediShare

MediShare is one of the largest and most reputable Christian health sharing organizations in the country. Meanwhile, Zion Health is a more contemporary, non-religious healthshare plan designed for a new era of low-cost healthcare.

But both plans have become increasingly popular among our members, offering a long-awaited alternative to traditional health insurance.

In this edition of our monthly newsletter, we’re going to compare these two popular healthshare plans side-by-side.

Zion vs. MediShare: Points of Comparison

Comparing healthshare plans is not unlike comparing health insurance. You need to compare plans by the same critical criteria. For this comparison, we’re going to look at:

• Monthly Cost. With healthshare plans, this is usually referred to as a member ‘share’ or ‘contribution’.
• Annual Household Portion. This is the amount of a medical bill that must be paid by the member before the bill is eligible for cost sharing. (With Zion, this is known as the “Initial Unshared Amount”.
• Statement of Faith vs. No Statement of Faith. MediShare is designed specifically for members of the Christian Faith. Zion Health offers memberships to people regardless of religious affiliation.
• Additional Programs and Services. All healthshare companies offer a number of member services in addition to medical cost sharing. These can include 24/7 telemedicine, prescription drug discounts, and valuable health incentive programs.

Choosing Between Zion and MediShare: Where to Begin

The first thing that you need to consider is whether a health sharing plan is a good match for your needs.

Often  offered by Health Care Sharing Ministries, or HSCMs, healthshare plans are an affordable way to protect yourself against emergency medical costs. These plans are a fraction of the cost of most insurance plans and can keep someone from paying for a lot of insurance coverage that they’ll never use.

But health sharing is not a perfect fit for all people. If you have significant or ongoing medical needs, or if you just use your coverage often, then it might be better to stick with traditional health insurance.

MediShare: Christian Health Insurance (That’s Not Really Insurance)

Medi-Share is perhaps the best medical cost sharing program for members of the Christian faith. Their member Statement of Faith is based on biblical teachings, meaning that your monthly contribution is going towards like-minded people of your spiritual community.

MediShare Pros:

• A shared Christian community
• Members can lower their rates more by completing the health incentive program

MediShare Cons:

• Does not accept members who do not identify with the Christian faith

Zion Health: Low Cost, Non-Religious Medical Cost Sharing

Zion Health allows members of all religions and beliefs. Their plans are becoming more popular because of their flexibility. Specifically, Zion’s health sharing programs can be set up to work with both HSAs and Direct Primary Care memberships.

Zion Health Pros:

• Zion is the only health sharing organization with an HSA-compatible plan option
• Zion also offers a membership specifically for Direct Primary Care (DPC) members

Zion Health Cons:

• Fewer program options than other HSCMs

Ready to Compare 2022 Health Share Plans?

Remember: Your Personal Benefits Manager is standing by for whatever change you need to make with your healthcare. If you are looking for a health insurance plan, Open Enrollment is still on, and there’s still time to get a new plan for 2022 or switch to something cheaper.

Or, if it’s a health sharing plan you’re after, we can handle that too.

When you’re ready to make changes, call your Personal Benefits Manager. Or, even better, use the link below to schedule a free, personal healthcare consultation around your schedule.  

To Your Health and Wealth,

Wiley P. Long III
President- ColoHealth

The ColoHealth Health & Wealth Newsletter is published monthly and emailed to subscribers at no charge. Subscribe now to stay on top of the critical information you need to know about health insurance, healthshare plans and managing your finances to achieve financial security.

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