The Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries Makes Presentation to NAIC, Congratulates It on New Leadership
WASHINGTON D.C. – Members of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Improper Marketing of Health Insurance Working Group learned a great deal about Health Care Sharing Ministries (HCSM) earlier this month.
The NAIC provides expertise, data, and analysis for insurance commissioners to effectively regulate the industry and protect consumers. Founded in 1871, the U.S. standard-setting organization is governed by the chief insurance regulators from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories to coordinate regulation of multistate insurers.
Two representatives from The Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries (The Alliance, ahcsm.org)— Board of Directors member Nancy Atkins and Policy Consultant Randy Pate— gave a fact-filled presentation on December 12.
“We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with NAIC. Our mission is to provide meaningful information to regulators and policy makers about the importance of preserving Health Care Sharing Ministries as an option for faith-driven Americans,” said Katy Talento, executive director of The Alliance. “The Alliance also serves as an important source of information about best practices for the public to look for when considering Health Care Sharing Ministries, such as transparent member communications and public reporting about their operations.”
The Alliance imparted important facts about Health Care Sharing Ministries, such as how nearly one million Americans are active members of a Health Care Sharing Ministry and have shared over $2 billion in 2020 alone. The presentation also clarified the many ways that HCSMs that are members of The Alliance are not insurance, but instead allow faith-centered people to come together as a community to share each other’s medical expenses.
The Alliance also noted several aspects pertaining to the importance of transparency and what to look for in an honest Health Care Sharing Ministry:
- Robust disclosure before enrollment about the difference between insurance and ministry membership.
- Public reporting with respect to audits, independent governance, and comprehensive guidelines explaining the sharing process.
- Member reporting about the use of their contributions, including how much goes to sharing medical needs of other members compared to administrative overhead of the ministry.
- The importance of abiding by the letter and the spirit of the federal 501(c)(3) law governing nonprofit charities.
- Member-to-member sharing as a key differentiator from insurance, compared to pooling member funds centrally by the organization.
- Membership in The Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries as a key platform for transparency and accountability among ministries.
“We were eager to have the opportunity to make a presentation to this influential body to explain the benefits of HCSMs,” said Talento. “We are looking forward to working with their new leadership. Congratulations to incoming NAIC president, Idaho Director Dean Cameron, and the other newly elected NAIC officers.”
Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., The Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries was established as a 501(c)(6) trade organization to represent the common interests of Health Care Sharing Ministries which are facilitating 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 and policy makers, members of the media, and the Christian community to provide accurate and timely information about Health Care Sharing Ministries.
Learn more about The Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries visit www.ahcsm.org or follow the ministry on Facebook or Twitter.
###
To interview a representative from The Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries, contact Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Beth Harrison, 610.584.1096, ext. 105, or Deborah Hamilton, ext. 102.
