Kentucky Fried Health Plan

Two other alternatives to health insurance stand a better chance at maintaining their designations as non-insurers.

One of them is Samaritan Ministries of Peoria, IL, which describes itself as "a healthcare needs-sharing organization." SM issued a statement after the Kentucky decision in which its general counsel, Brian Heller,  said, “What the court did not explain is how a pooling arrangement can 'shift risk' when all par­ticipation in the pool is voluntary and thus no member of the pool has any legal responsibility for any other member’s medical expense."

The Kentucky decision, which likely will be appealed, has no direct effect on Samaritan Ministries members since they do not “pool” their money, but mail it directly to member families in need, the statement explained. That step goes a long way in distinguishing SM as something other than a health plan.

Medi-Share, on the other hand, operates closer to the traditional health payer model.  While Medi-Share may not pay providers directly, Christian Care Ministry facilitates the processing of payments.  That distinction, of course, was not enough to sway the Kentucky Supreme Court.

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