January 21, 2026
Family health care costs nearly tripled in 20 years. Samaritan Ministries provides an affordable option
Anthony Hopp, Vice President and Chief Purpose Officer: ‘As health insurance premiums keep rising along with health care expenses, it pays to seek out better approaches like Samaritan Ministries’ health care sharing’
PEORIA, Ill. — Healthcare costs for a family of four are nearly triple what a family paid 20 years ago, according to the latest Milliman Medical Index.
Whereas a typical family paid around $12,000 for health care in 2005, the same family would be paying about $35,000 today, the report says. At the same time, wages lagged, rising at less than half the rate of health care costs, which increased 188 percent over that period
“More than ever, Samaritan Ministries makes sense as an affordable approach to health care,” said Anthony Hopp, Samaritan Ministries International (SMI) vice president and chief purpose officer. “As health insurance premiums keep rising along with health care expenses, it pays to seek out better, non-insurance approaches like SMI’s health care sharing.”
Since 2005, the Milliman Medical Index has analyzed the projected total cost of healthcare for a hypothetical family of four covered by a typical employer-sponsored health plan, and now also projects healthcare costs for the average person.
“Healthcare costs rise for a number of reasons, including — but not limited to — price increases and pricing structures, disease prevalence, and new medicines and technologies,” the 2025 report says. “Outpatient facility care and higher prescription drug costs are the top drivers of healthcare spending increases over the past 20 years.”
“Members do not deal with many of the same issues that come with insurance,” Hopp said. “Paying providers directly in cash often allows them to offer discounts, sometimes significant ones, which can save members a considerable amount of money.”
According to SMI’s 2025 Impact Report: Hand-in-hand with Christ, Samaritan Ministries has coordinated more than $440 million in member-to-member sharing.
“We are hard at work on new initiatives that we believe will reduce medical costs, increase affordability, and lead to membership growth,” says SMI’s COO, Will Cooper.
“With our newest Samaritan offering, REDEEM HealthShare™, we are making thoughtful investments in areas that truly matter to our members,” Cooper adds. “That means giving them clearer and more trustworthy information about provider prices and quality, strengthening our ability to secure fair prices upfront, and making the needs processing experience smoother and faster. We are also looking for ways to deepen the personal connection between members, increasing opportunities for more notes of encouragement and prayers.
“REDEEM provides a fully digital experience that reflects how people live and share today,” Cooper says.
What Samaritan Ministries members are saying:
Dave, from Illinois, shared:
“I am very thankful that my expenses have been shared by others, alleviating a large financial burden, but an even greater blessing is knowing that fellow brothers and sisters are praying for my healing. This is the family of God in action.”
Lynette, writing from Minnesota, said:
“After receiving many bills and depleting some savings, it was pure joy to see Samaritan Ministries operate the way it does. To have letters with encouraging notes and promises of prayer, along with checks to pay my medical expenses, was so very heartening. The healing continues, and I am so grateful for the prayers. God is the great Physician.”
Since its founding in 1994, Samaritan Ministries International has helped tens of thousands of families and individuals 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 almost 80,000 households.
Samaritan Ministries 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 Samaritan Ministries at any time.
Samaritan Ministries 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.).
Samaritan Ministries health care sharing offers many advantages, including:
- No network restrictions. Samaritan 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 Samaritan Ministries’ guidelines before joining Samaritan.
To learn more about Samaritan Ministries International, visit the Samaritanwebsite at www.samaritanministries.org, or follow the ministry on Facebook, Instagram or X.
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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.
