April 9, 2026
When health insurance costs more than the mortgage, there’s a better way with Samaritan Ministries International and REDEEM® HealthShare
‘Members can choose health care options that best fit their financial needs’
PEORIA, Ill. — Health insurance premiums have spiked, especially for people enrolled in the government’s Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans.
After a contentious back-and-forth and the longest government shutdown in history last fall, Congress allowed enhanced ACA subsidies to expire on Dec. 31.
The fight was particularly intense because the cost of federal health insurance assistance has more than doubled since the COVID pandemic, according to the Tax Foundation. The end of extended subsidies has affected millions of Americans who had become dependent on them.
When Nicole Wipp, a self-employed lawyer in Aiken, South Carolina, learned the monthly cost for her family’s ACA plan would be more than their mortgage payment, she and her husband dropped their family plan and bought coverage only for their 15-year-old son, according to KFF Health News.
With the loss of subsidies and health care costs already surging, more middle-income people will face tough decisions, like Nicole’s, about their health coverage this year.
More than 80% of Americans said their cost of living has increased in the past year, according to a January poll from KFF, a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News. Health care costs ranked at the top of their concerns, with about two-thirds saying that they are somewhat or very worried about affording health care, more so than for food and housing.
Health insurance premium costs have increased by more than 75% since the ACA was implemented. Employer-sponsored plan premiums have increased to an annual average of $26,993 for family coverage and $9,325 for single coverage in 2025.
David Foucachon, CEO and co-founder of the Moscow, Idaho-based Veritas Surgery and a Samaritan Ministries® board member, blames much of the increase in health insurance overall on an ACA provision that allows health insurance companies to make more money the higher the cost of care is.
“One of the provisions was the medical-loss ratio stipulation, which says that the carriers have to spend 80 to 85 cents of the premium dollar on paying for claims,” Foucachon said. “That has created the perverse incentive (for insurance companies) to increase profit by increasing the cost of care.”
“By contrast, Samaritan Ministries and REDEEM HealthShare allow members to choose health care options that best fit their financial needs,” said Anthony Hopp, vice president and chief purpose officer of SMI.
In a column for the Daily Caller, Tim Van Hoof, vice president of Marketing and Member Development for SMI, and Michael Miller, editor of the SMI newsletter and blog,explain how SMI and REDEEM® members save money and have more medical care choices.
“While still being affected by health care inflation, more than a million American Christians have found refuge in health care sharing ministries,” they wrote. “The advantages of an HCSM are significant; members of most health care sharing ministries are free to use the medical provider of their choice with no network restrictions. They get to exercise health care freedom.”
There are economic advantages as well.
“HCSMs can far outpace the affordability of health insurance. For example, an average unsubsidized benchmark insurance plan for a typical 40-year-old with a family of four in 2025 is $1,606 per month, with a $3,000 deductible. REDEEM™ Essential for that same family is $905 per month with a $3,000 annual unshareable amount, a savings of about 40%.”
“Another government shutdown may be looming, which might negatively affect some people enrolled through Obamacare, causing delays in customer service, but it wouldn’t affect members of Samaritan Ministries or REDEEM HealthShare. This is the freedom of choosing Christian health care sharing.”
Unlike being part of health care systems that don’t support Christian values and are all about profit rather than proper care, Samaritan and REDEEM HealthShare are a community of Christians paying one another’s medical bills. Their direct sharing model is fundamentally different from health insurance. Members directly support other members with their medical needs while embracing their Christian values.
Since 1994, Samaritan Ministries International has taken a biblical approach to sharing one another’s burdens, helping more than a million Christians enjoy affordable health care freedom by choosing medical providers and treatments without network restrictions. Accredited by the Healthcare Sharing Accreditation Board and rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau, Samaritan Ministries serves more than 250,000 members. REDEEM HealthShare Ministry is a division of Samaritan Ministries International. Christian health care sharing is not health insurance anddoes not guarantee payment of medical bills by the ministry or its members. Participation in sharing is voluntary, and members remain personally responsible for their medical expenses.Prospective members must review each program’s guidelines and the state disclosures to understand how health care sharing differs from insurance.
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, or Richard Jefferson, rjefferson@hamiltonstrategies.com.
