January 16, 2026
Samaritan Ministries’ 2025 Impact Report marks 31 years of members redeeming health care together
‘The impact you had in 2025 on your Samaritan brothers and sisters in Christ and on the future of Samaritan Ministries is truly immeasurable,’ Samaritan CEO Mark Zander told members in the annual report
PEORIA, Ill. — In October, Samaritan Ministries International (SMI, samaritanministries.org) marked 31 years of members redeeming health care together.
“‘The 2025 Impact Report: Hand in Hand With Christ,’ reveals how more than 250,000 members have helped to support each other with love, care, prayer and financial support, hand-in-hand with Christ and all for His glory!” said Mark Zander, Chief Executive Officer of SMI.
Here are just a few examples of how members shared the burden in 2025:
- 57,872 published medical Needs
- 823,584 Shares sent
- 478,467 notes of encouragement and prayers
- $420,179,567 saved by member-driven discounts
- $32,619,590 saved by provider relations
“Over 85% of the dollars you share go to families in need, while the remaining dollars go to support ministry operations,” Zander said. “While the majority of those administration dollars go to support daily operations, which includes providing the most Christ-compassionate care possible to members, some of those dollars are invested in securing the future of Samaritan Ministries through ongoing improvements and innovation.
“As you know, medical costs continue to rise at unprecedented rates, threatening the ongoing affordability of participating in the Samaritan Ministries community. We are hard at work on new initiatives that we hope and pray will slow down/reduce medical costs, increase affordability and lead to more membership growth.
“Some of those improvements and innovations we are investing in include: better medical provider price and quality information for members’ decision making, more effective upfront price negotiation for members, improving the speed and simplicity of needs processing, lowering the costs of sharing, increasing the potential for more notes and prayers, and testing an entirely new health care sharing platform called REDEEM™ HealthShare that we hope will become a more affordable Samaritan health care sharing option over the next few years.
“The impact you had in 2025 on your Samaritan brothers and sisters in Christ and on the future of Samaritan Ministries is truly immeasurable. As a Christian, non-profit ministry with true biblical values, our goal is to do ministry with the most Kingdom-minded stewardship possible in order to maximize the eternal value of all that you share.”
What SMI members are saying:
Stephan and Leah shared, “It’s a ministry that’s easy to get the whole family involved in. We can bring our kids together to pray about the needs of other people. It’s definitely going against the consumeristic mindset.”
Laurie said, “It’s so easy and quick to create a Need and submit my bills. There’s a quick turnaround time. I feel like everyone there is on my team. When I do receive my gifts from people, I save everything. I definitely feel like I’m part of a larger community.”
Rene and Mary wrote, “Just the fact that Samaritan Ministries exists is a gift and a mercy! With insurance companies, we were simply a number and quite literally were ‘lost in the system, unable to get to our doctors to receive health care. Then we found Samaritan! With the philosophy of sharing each other’s burden, and the prayers that we offer for each other every month, this ministry has supported us faithfully.”
Since its founding in 1994, Samaritan Ministries International has helped more than a million Christians enjoy health care freedom by allowing them to choose medical providers and treatments at reasonable cost and without network restrictions while following a biblical pattern of caring for one another’s medical needs.
Accredited by the Healthcare Sharing Accreditation Board, Samaritanhas an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, and serves more than 250,000 members across more than 70,000 households.
REDEEMTM is not health insurance. Government exchange-based health insurance requires signups to occur only during open enrollment periods unless one qualifies for a special enrollment period due to a “life event” such as losing coverage, getting married, moving, or having a baby. In contrast, individuals can sign up with REDEEM at any time. REDEEM members are exempt from insurance coverage mandates and penalties in those states that have them (i.e., California, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C.).
REDEEM HealthShare Ministry offers many advantages, including:
- No network restrictions. REDEEM members have the freedom of choice for their health care provider, hospital, and pharmacy that works best for them.
- The unique direct-sharing approach does more than just help members financially; it also encourages a biblical community based on prayer. Due to member efforts, monthly shares are hundreds of dollars less per month than health insurance premiums.
To understand how health care sharing is not insurance, and to understand the differences from insurance, prospective members are required to review REDEEM’s guidelines before joining.
To learn more about REDEEM HealthShare Ministry, visit the website at redeemhealthshare.org, or follow the ministry on Facebook, or Instagram.
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To interview a representative from Samaritan Ministries International, contact Hamilton Strategies, Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Beth Bogucki, 610.584.1096, ext. 105, Dawn Foglein, ext. 100, or Richard Jefferson, rjefferson@hamiltonstrategies.com.
