Remember, we are speaking about the Gold plan with “CHM Plus”.
CHM Limits to be Aware of:
There are a few things that may be helpful to be aware of before you decide to become a member of Christian Healthcare Ministries. We have listed all we can think of here:
- Only incidents over $1,250 (before discounts) will have any sharing or reimbursement. Doctor visits, medical care and treatments where the total for all treatments add up to less than $1,250 before discount will have to be paid from the money you save by participating in Christian Healthcare Ministries. Additionally, each person is responsible to cover the first $1,250 of “over $1,250 incidents” each year.
- Certain routine medical expenses are not covered. Note however that an annual physical with lab tests, mammogram and colonoscopy are covered – if the grand total cost (before discounts) is over $1,250.
- Ongoing medical costs are not covered (insulin, dialysis, blood pressure medications, etc.).
- Pregnancy is fully covered but you must be married and become a member at least 300 days before your due date. There is an additional $2,500 out-of-pocket for pregnancy and delivery in total (which can be reduced to $2,000 by contacting the CHM Maternity Care Specialist).
- Overseas medical expenses are fully covered, unless the purpose of your overseas trip was to obtain medical care. “Medical Tourism” is not covered.
- There are some limits to coverage on preexisting conditions – $15,000 the first year, $10,000 the second, $25,000 the third, full coverage after that. The amount is cumulative though, so if you don’t have any preexisting condition related incidents in the first year, you have $25,000 of coverage in second year, etc. And if you run out, many members donate to cover nearly all of your excess preexisting condition costs.
- It does not cover routine maintenance type of prescriptions – only related to a healthcare incident, for 3 months, so if you develop an expensive chronic illness, you may have to switch over to traditional insurance.
- It covers only 45 physical therapy treatments.
- It covers only 45 home healthcare visits.
- No mental health coverage, no chiropractic coverage, no “alternative” treatment coverage.
The full CHM Guidelines area available here: CHM-Guidelines-v3.2024 (Current as of 10-15-2024).
Christian Healthcare Ministries Requirements:
It has been reported widely that some health cost sharing plans have ridiculous requirements and restrictions. This is not true with CHM. But they definitely have a few requirements that you need to be aware of before applying to join. These are the main ones:
- You must be a church attending Christian.
- No tobacco or vaping, no illegal drugs, alcohol is ok but only in moderation.
- Injuries where you are not utilizing the manufacturer’s recommended safety equipment (such as motorcycle helmets) may not be covered.
- Pregnancy and delivery are shared only if you are married and join before you are pregnant. You must become a member at least 300 days before giving birth.
Of course, be sure to compare these restrictions to the amazing advantages.
Would you mind helping us keep this website going at no cost to you? We created this website to help people looking for summarized information about Christian Healthcare Ministries, and our family pays all the costs associated with hosting the site and keeping it updated. If this website has been helpful to you, we’d be grateful if you would help keep it “on the air” by simply using our link to request or download an information packet from CHM. If you use our link and then choose to join CHM, our family will receive a discounted month – and it will cost you nothing. Thank you so much!