- Ministry Began at Small Mennonite Church in Rural
Virginia
- Expansion Followed Passage of Affordable Care Act
- Headquartered in Ohio Since 2015
CANTON,
Ohio, Jan. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The nation's
most-comprehensive healthsharing ministry got its start 30 years
ago this month when a group of five families held the first service
of their new church, the Gospel Light Mennonite Church in rural
Virginia.
Liberty HealthShare, the nation's
most-comprehensive health-sharing ministry got its start 30 years
ago.
The families took a Mennonite tradition with them: helping each
other by sharing healthcare expenses among congregation members.
They established the Gospel Light Mennonite Church Medical Aid
Plan, which today is better known as Liberty
HealthShare®.
"God has certainly graced Liberty HealthShare with His
blessings," said Dorsey Morrow,
chief executive officer. "He has presented us with some challenges
over the years, but we continue to do His work by helping our
members share the burdens of their fellow believers since
1995."
After the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) was
passed in 2010, Gospel Light Mennonite Church's leadership decided
their Medical Aid Plan could serve Christians outside of their
small congregation and began to look for a partner to help
accomplish this. Their first step was achieving the federal
government's recognition of their Medical Aid Plan as an eligible
healthcare sharing ministry, making its members exempt from ACA
insurance mandates. This recognition from the Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid Services was granted in 2014, making the Gospel Light
Mennonite Church Medical Aid Plan one of a limited number of
healthcare sharing ministries to receive federal recognition.
Around the same time, Liberty HealthShare was established in
Ohio to offer Americans an
alternative to government-mandated healthcare plans.
After being introduced to each other by a mutual business
associate and spending time discussing their visions and goals,
leaders of the two organizations saw the possibilities of combining
their missions and having Liberty HealthShare manage the ministry
in Ohio.
Gospel Light Mennonite Church extended membership in its Medical
Aid Plan to Liberty HealthShare members in 2015 and began to use
the Liberty HealthShare tradename.
Many of those earliest Gospel Light Mennonite Church Medical Aid
Plan members remain with the ministry today as do the first Liberty
HealthShare members. Gospel Light Mennonite Church members continue
to enroll in Liberty HealthShare's medical sharing programs.
"God has placed many storms before us and our resolve was tested
numerous times," said Morrow. "But through it all – the ups and the
downs – the Liberty HealthShare team took on every task put in
front of us as we knew we were doing the Lord's work."
While Liberty HealthShare is
celebrating its 30th anniversary, something only a few
healthsharing ministries have achieved, Morrow said the
organization is not focused on its past.
"Throughout this year we will also be looking at, and praying
about, what we can, and should, do to further strengthen this
ministry and its position as the most-comprehensive healthcare
sharing ministry in America for the next 30 years," he said.
Liberty HealthShare provides a cost-effective, faith-based
alternative to health insurance. Members enjoy the freedom to
choose providers, telehealth access, and prescription discounts
while participating in a compassionate, Christian community.
Transparency and stewardship are central, with programs tailored
for families, seniors, and individuals.
Liberty HealthShare offers six affordable medical cost sharing
programs that are designed to fit the needs and budgets of
individuals as well as different types and sizes of families.
Monthly share amounts for individuals range from $87-$369. Share
amounts for families of four start at $319 per month.
Liberty Dental, the ministry's new dental sharing program,
features monthly share amounts as low as $35 and allows members to see the dentist of
their choice without any network restrictions.
As Liberty HealthShare is not insurance, enrollment is available
year-round with no requirement for special life events to qualify.
For more information about its sharing programs visit
LibertyHealthShare.org or call (855) 585-4237.
Liberty HealthShare is a non-profit 501(c) (3) charitable
Christian medical cost-sharing ministry focused on members helping
each other in times of need. The faith-based program, which
facilitates healthsharing for its members, is a caring community of
health-conscious individuals and families who choose to support one
another and agree to the Christian values of stewardship to make
healthcare affordable for all. The ministry has been recognized by
both Charity Navigator and Candid, the nation's leading non-profit
evaluators, for its operational excellence, transparency, and
accountability.
Liberty HealthShare is not an insurance company nor is it
offered through an insurance company. Liberty HealthShare's Sharing
Programs do not guarantee or promise that a member's medical bills
will be paid or assigned to others for payment. Whether anyone
chooses to pay a member's medical bills will be totally voluntary.
As such, Liberty HealthShare's Sharing Programs should never be
considered as a substitute for an insurance policy. Whether a
member receives any payments for medical expenses and whether or
not Liberty HealthShare continues to operate, the member is always
liable for any unpaid bills.
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SOURCE Liberty HealthShare