In December 2017, I opened my annual policy letter from Blue Cross Blue Shield to find that my health insurance premiums were going up yet again. While in previous years I had accepted what I considered a terribly raw deal from one of only three health insurance providers in my state (Arkansas), this time was going to be different. I knew there had to be a better way than this to ensure a healthy family of four wouldn’t go bankrupt in the case of a major injury or illness.

How I Heard About Christian Healthcare Ministries

That’s when I remembered a speaker at one of our previous events had told his story about Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM). If you have never heard about Christian Healthcare Ministries, you can watch this brief video.

So the speaker went on and on about how much he and his wife loved CHM. His wife had been in the hospital three times since they had become members, and he claimed that CHM literally paid everything! (If you have ever received a hospital bill, you know exactly how valuable that was to them.)

The speaker continued on about how he would have paid a total of about $18,000 out-of-pocket for the three surgeries in addition to over $1,000 per month in premiums had they still been on their health insurance plan during these hospitalizations.

That was in 2016, and it certainly got my attention at the time. But it wasn’t until the end of 2017 when I received the letter stating that our premiums for 2018 would increase 30% from 2017 to nearly $1,000 per month that I finally decided to take action.

Taking the Plunge With Christian Healthcare Ministries

I canceled my family’s health insurance plan, and we became members of Christian Healthcare Ministries in April 2018. Under our old Blue Cross insurance plan, our monthly premium was $958. As members of CHM, our total monthly cost is only $478. That’s a whopping $480 per month we are saving. What could you do with an extra $480 each month?

Fast-forward to April 2019. We have been members of Christian Healthcare Ministries for a full year, and here is what I have discovered:

#1. We saved $5,760 during the first year of switching to CHM ($480/mo)

#2. We have saved money on prescription medications by using the discount card CHM provides to its members

#3. No more worrying about whether the cash-pay price is cheaper than going through insurance when we need a medical procedure

#4. We are encouraged to pray for the sick and injured members via the monthly newsletter

#5. My family of four has been blessed with no sickness or injuries during the whole year, so I haven’t had the experience of getting my medical expenses shared yet. (I will update this review if and when I do.)

I truly believe we are healthier and happier due to the decision to cancel our health insurance and join Christian Healthcare Ministries. We switched from a relatively cheap insurance plan to now having the absolute highest level of membership with CHM, and still save a ton of money each month. That’s right. We used to have a Blue Cross insurance plan with a $12,000 deductible, meaning we would have to pay $12,000 out-of-pocket in a single year before the insurance would kick in. Now, we have the “Cadillac” plan at CHM: we joined at the Gold Level with the Brother’s Keeper add-on (a catastrophic bills program).

Healthier and Happier With Christian Healthcare Ministries

My family’s health has improved during the past year because we knew that we wanted to be responsible members of CHM. The health-sharing program works because the members pledge that they are Christians and that they are taking steps to ensure a healthy lifestyle. Although we were already living fairly healthy lifestyles, my family decided to take it to the next level and be more consistent in our healthy eating choices, getting enough sleep, and regular exercise. We are healthier than we’ve ever been before and hope that we will never (or rarely) have to use the health-sharing aspect of our CHM membership.

Is Christian Healthcare Ministries Right For You?

If you believe joining CHM could be right for you and if this Christian Healthcare Ministries review has been helpful, please consider joining with our special link. When you join using our link, we receive one free month of CHM membership for our family. Join with our special link here.

About the author: Jennifer Robinson is the co-founder of FollowtheMoney.com and an advocate of Follow the Money’s 5 Levels of Financial Freedom. Holding a Master’s Degree in Finance and experience in the corporate world, she is well aware of the need for true financial education and seeks to help fill the gap.