***News Release***
Health Care Sharing with Samaritan Ministries Allows Members to Access Biblical, Affordable, Network-Free Health Care Anywhere in the World
Samaritan Ministries Makes Health Care Sharing Simple Even for Missionaries and International Members
PEORIA, Ill.—Think of the stress that may occur if a medical need comes up during a trip to another country. Likewise, those who live overseas may experience other challenges when it comes to using health insurance internationally.
But more than a quarter of a million members of Samaritan Ministries International (samaritanministries.org), one of the leading health care sharing ministries in America, have a very simple way to handle their medical bills anywhere in the world.
“Health care sharing through Samaritan Ministries works virtually the same way internationally as here in the United States,” said Anthony Hopp, vice president of external relations for Samaritan Ministries. “Members visit any doctor, medical professional, hospital or clinic of their choosing, decide on the best treatment option together, submit their medical needs to Samaritan, then receive financial shares from their fellow members. This is true if members visit another country for a week for vacation, for a several-month stay, if they serve as missionaries in another country for many years or live internationally full time. Because there are no networks or preferred providers with Samaritan, members have the freedom and the ease to take ownership of their health care no matter where in the world they visit or live.”
Additionally, several features of the Samaritan health care sharing model appeal to those who may be living or traveling overseas, such as an online dashboard, a resource to email a medical professional or chat 24/7 with a nurse, discounts for prescriptions and lab work, online scheduling with doctors and ways to research competitive pricing for services.
Each month, nearly 82,000 Samaritan member households (267,000 individual members) send their financial shares directly to other members, along with notes and cards of encouragement, through this effective, God-honoring ministry. Samaritan’s growing Biblical community shares approximately $29 million in medical needs person-to-person each month. In fact, from 2007 through 2017, Samaritan Ministries members shared $1.2 billion in health care needs. Yet Samaritan’s monthly share has never exceeded $495 for a family of any size and is even less for two-person and single-person households.
Members who are living or traveling nationally or internationally, such as missionaries working to spread the Gospel of Jesus worldwide, say they “adore” being a part of Samaritan Ministries.
“It allows us to grow our big family confidently and without burden,” said Joseph and Keri. “It also allows us to be full-time stateside missionaries without having to worry about health care. We love the member service, their prayers via phone and how they’re always honest and have integrity.”
Eric and Wendy say there is no comparison to insurance for their global lifestyle.
“This works so much better than insurance!” they said. “It’s amazing how this works and what a blessing it is, as missionaries overseas especially!”
Christopher and Emily appreciate knowing their financial shares and notes reach Samaritan families around the world, no matter where they might be.
“It’s wonderful to be a part of something that clearly exemplifies Christian unity and love,” they said. “We are blessed to have tangible evidence—stories, prayers, shares—of the global Body of Christ beyond our own local fellowship.”
Learn more about Samaritan Ministries International here; visit the Samaritan website at www.samaritanministries.org, or follow the ministry on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
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