Liberty HealthShare Review Update June 8, 2022 – I personally used Liberty HealthShare for the birth of my daughter in late December 2021. All of my medical bills were paid promptly and I was satisfied with the service I received.
Liberty HealthShare Review Update May 20, 2024 – My husband had a minor surgery this year and it was paid for without issue as well.
Before you read on: this Liberty HealthShare review is not a political piece and it is not sponsored. It is my personal experience and research about a health care sharing ministry to help others exploring alternatives to traditional health insurance. If you are searching for Liberty HealthShare reviews, here is my perspective.
I first learned about health sharing ministries about a year before I joined one. At the time, it was an unfamiliar concept and, since I already had health insurance, I didn’t investigate further.
Then, in late 2015, I discovered that practical health insurance options for our situation were extremely limited. I didn’t want to risk the penalty for not having coverage, but I also couldn’t accept being effectively uninsured.
Full-time RV living complicates traditional health insurance. Many insurers either won’t cover you outside your home state or require you to truly live in that state. As full-time travelers, our mailing address didn’t reflect our actual lifestyle, and we were uneasy about the possibility of a claim being denied if a carrier determined we were circumventing residency rules.
On top of that, the only policy available to us in our state carried an outrageous $39,000 deductible for out-of-state expenses. Given that many policies excluded full-time travelers anyway, that option simply didn’t work.
Paying high premiums for a plan with a $39,000 annual deductible—plus the risk of denied claims because of our travel lifestyle—was not acceptable, so we needed a different solution.
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In January 2016 we joined Liberty HealthShare. The application was straightforward, we were approved, and coincidentally we had a medical expense six days after approval. Despite that timing, Liberty paid the claim.
My Liberty HealthShare review:
What is a health care sharing ministry?
HealthCareSharing.org defines a health care sharing ministry as a not-for-profit, religiously affiliated arrangement where individuals with shared beliefs contribute monthly shares to help one another with medical expenses. These organizations act as a clearinghouse: members submit eligible medical bills and other members’ contributions are used to assist with those costs.
Members commit to monthly contributions and agree to share responsibility for other members’ eligible medical expenses.
The positives of a health care sharing ministry
Health sharing ministries offer several advantages:
- Lower monthly costs compared to many traditional insurance plans.
- Often lower out-of-pocket maximums or annual deductibles.
- No network restrictions—members can generally see any provider they choose.
Additionally, participating in Liberty HealthShare satisfied the individual mandate requirement at the time, exempting us from penalties tied to not carrying standard health insurance.
Cost of Liberty HealthShare
For our family of three, we paid $874 per month. Liberty’s program states that, after the Annual Unshareable Amount (AUA) is met, eligible medical expenses can be shared up to $1,000,000 per incident.
They also offer lower-cost plans, with options starting as low as $89 per month, depending on the program and member choices.
You can explore program options directly with Liberty to see current plans and pricing.
The downsides of a health care sharing ministry
Health sharing ministries have limitations and important distinctions from health insurance:
- They are not required by law to pay all medical expenses like insurance companies are.
- Monthly shares are not tax-deductible as a business expense in the same way some insurance premiums can be.
- Contributions cannot be used with a Health Savings Account (HSA).
- Pre-existing conditions are often subject to waiting periods before they become eligible for sharing.
Members must also abide by program ethical guidelines—such as restrictions on substance use or certain behaviors—which can affect eligibility for sharing if a medical expense arises from policy-violating conduct.
The most significant caveat is that health sharing ministries are not regulated as insurance; therefore, sharing of any specific expense is not guaranteed.
Related: Do you need travel medical insurance if you travel long-term?
My experience with Liberty HealthShare
Switching from traditional insurance to a health sharing ministry was a big decision. We had always carried conventional health insurance and knew few people who used Liberty. Still, our circumstances left us little choice, since brokers couldn’t find an affordable RV-friendly plan for us.
To date, I have no regrets. Liberty covered a wellness visit and an ER visit for me with minimal friction—the providers accepted my Liberty HealthShare card and Liberty processed the claims without issue.
Liberty HealthShare maintains guidelines for membership, which they publish, and they welcome members of various faiths, lifestyles, backgrounds, and sexual orientations.
Additional Liberty HealthShare resources:
- Liberty HealthShare pregnancy – Maternity & Membership: What to Expect
- Liberty HealthShare Frequently Asked Questions
I will update this Liberty HealthShare review if my experience or opinion changes over time.
How I learned about this health care sharing ministry
Two bloggers influenced our decision to try Liberty HealthShare: Holly and Choncé. Both are members and shared their positive experiences. Holly noted significant savings compared to ACA premiums and a much lower out-of-pocket maximum. Choncé shared that Liberty repriced her surgical bills substantially and shared the resulting expense, which provided peace of mind during a stressful time.
Below are paraphrased highlights from their accounts:
“We joined Liberty in 2014 after premiums rose under the ACA. We’ve seen great value at roughly half the cost of traditional insurance and a much lower out-of-pocket maximum.” — Holly
“After a year and a half with Liberty, I appreciated being able to see any doctor and having Liberty negotiate and share large medical expenses. They worked with providers and helped manage bills so I wasn’t overwhelmed.” — Choncé
Choncé also provided documentation showing how Liberty covered a significant surgery expense for her.
If you’re interested in Liberty HealthShare after reading this review, you can contact me at [email protected] and I can connect you with someone at the company who can answer questions and explain programs in more detail.
How much do you pay monthly for health insurance or an alternative? What are your thoughts about health care sharing ministries?
Disclaimer: This Liberty HealthShare review reflects my personal experience and research. Always conduct your own due diligence when evaluating health care options. I am not a health care professional or insurance expert.