Health care sharing ministries are health plans that do not fully comply with the requirements of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Those who enroll in these plans can be exempt from the ACA’s mandate to have minimum essential coverage. These plans are typically much less expensive than commercial health insurance. Payments to these plans get collected into a shared fund, which is then used to pay members’ medical bills. The plans are not required to cover all of the services that ACA-compliant plans must cover, and there may not be enough money in the fund to pay all bills. For those seeking to enroll in these plans must share a common religious faith and agree to live by certain shared religious principles.
