September 14, 2026
Health Care Sharing Ministries offer a different answer to ‘The Freedom Fraud’
Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries says health care freedom includes choosing doctors, pursuing treatment options and acting according to conscience
WASHINGTON — Americans have been taught to confuse restrictions imposed by insurance carriers with freedom of choice, according to a recent commentary. The Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries today said Health Care Sharing Ministries offer another model, one centered on choice, conscience and direct participation in health care decisions.
The Sept. 1 HEALTH CARE un-covered article, “The Freedom Fraud,” argues that selecting among numerous insurance plans does not necessarily create meaningful freedom when networks limit access to doctors and hospitals. The article calls for redefining health care freedom around access, portability and patient choice.
Since 1981, Health Care Sharing Ministries operating across all 50 states have facilitated the sharing of billions of dollars in medical expenses among members. The ministries bring Christians together to share eligible medical needs while providing financial, emotional and spiritual support.
“For many Americans, real health care freedom means having a meaningful say in where they receive care, which treatments they pursue and whether their health care choices respect their deeply held beliefs,” said Randall Hultgren, executive director of the Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries. “Health Care Sharing Ministries give members a way to exercise those choices in community with people who share their faith and values.”
Members generally are free to choose doctors and treatments without being confined to restrictive provider networks. They may also pursue alternative treatments that health insurance may not cover, subject to their ministry’s guidelines.
The model also allows members to exercise freedom of conscience. Members are not required through their sharing ministry to subsidize practices that conflict with the ministry’s religious convictions, including abortion or certain drugs and treatments related to gender transition.
“Freedom in health care should include freedom of conscience,” Hultgren said. “Christians should not have to set aside their convictions simply because they need medical care. Health care sharing allows members to help one another while remaining faithful to the beliefs that brought them together.”
Health care sharing can also change how members encounter medical pricing. Cash prices, particularly when negotiated by a Health Care Sharing Ministry, can be lower than prices billed through insurance arrangements. Tens of thousands of Christians use health care sharing while paying cash prices for services and participating in a supportive faith community.
“The debate over health care freedom should not stop with how many plans appear on a menu,” Hultgren said. “Patients care about whether, how, and where they can choose a doctor, seek appropriate treatment, understand costs and make decisions consistent with their conscience. Those are freedoms worth protecting.”
Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries is a 501(c)(6) trade organization representing the common interests of Health Care Sharing Ministries, which facilitate the sharing of health care needs (financial, emotional and spiritual) by individuals and families and their participants. The Alliance engages with federal and state regulators, members of the media and the Christian community to provide accurate and timely information on health care sharing.
To learn more about the Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries, visit www.ahcsm.org or follow the ministry on Facebook or Twitter.
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To interview a representative from the Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries, contact Hamilton Strategies, Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Beth Bogucki, 610.584.1096, ext. 105, or Richard Jefferson, rjefferson@hamiltonstrategies.com.
