As insurance giants face mounting losses and charge higher premiums, affordable Health Care Sharing Ministries offer freedom and biblical stewardship
WASHINGTON — As major insurers report sharp losses and rising utilization costs, the Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries (Alliance) is calling attention to a growing crisis in American health care — and to the biblical alternative that is helping hundreds of thousands of families navigate it.
A recent Healthcare Brew report showed that insurance carriers such as Elevance, Centene and UnitedHealth have either missed their 2025 earnings targets or lowered projections, blaming skyrocketing medical costs and a sicker-than-expected pool of members across Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicaid plans. Analysts warn that increasing utilization, aggressive provider coding and stagnant Medicaid reimbursement rates are pushing insurers to the brink.
“Whether it’s government programs or private insurance, Americans are being squeezed harder than ever,” said Katy Talento, executive director of the Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries. “Families are paying more for less coverage while insurers talk about raising rates or pulling out of unprofitable markets. The system is broken — and it’s leaving people without good options.”
According to Healthcare Brew, federal policy expirations expected next year could make enrollment in ACA and Medicaid plans even more unaffordable, driving away healthier members, worsening the risk pool, sending the individual marketplace in some states into what is called a “death spiral,” where only the sickest remain in the pool, driving premium increases that price out more of the healthy risk each year. Insurers are promising investors they will raise rates or exit markets to stem losses, but that could leave millions with fewer affordable choices.
Industry experts say the problem is even deeper than most executives acknowledge. Hal Andrews, president and CEO of Trilliant Health, told Healthcare Brew that the “biggest issue contributing to payer losses” is being downplayed in public statements. Meanwhile, a PricewaterhouseCoopers report found that total U.S. drug spending rose 11.4 percent in 2024 — an increase of $50 billion — to reach nearly $487 billion.
“These numbers reflect an unsustainable pattern,” Talento said. “Medical inflation, regulation, and opaque pricing all combine to drive costs up while health outcomes for American patients worsen every year. Insurance companies and government safety net programs simply cannot sustain that pressure.”
For Christians looking for affordable, values-aligned solutions, the Alliance points to a proven model: Health Care Sharing Ministries. These faith-based, non-insurance organizations enable members to share one another’s medical expenses directly, creating a community of care that reflects biblical teachings.
“Health Care Sharing Ministries offer less cost, less red tape and more freedom,” Talento noted. “Members can choose their doctors and treatments without being forced to fund procedures or drugs that violate their conscience. They’re living out Galatians 6:2 — ‘Carry each other’s burdens’ — in a tangible, compassionate way.”
Unlike insurance, Health Care Sharing Ministries are nonprofit charities structured around voluntary monthly contributions. Members affirm shared faith commitments and contribute to each other’s medical bills, supported by prayer and mutual encouragement.
As the cost of care rises faster than wages or inflation, the Alliance says the case for faith-based sharing grows stronger every quarter.
“For believers, financial stewardship is a matter of faith, not just budgeting,” Talento said. “Through Health Care Sharing Ministries, Christians can choose a path that reflects biblical principles while building real community, with people praying for one another and helping shoulder life’s medical burdens together.”
She added, “This isn’t just a financial decision. It’s about living out faith in action. When traditional systems fail — and the insurance industry is a trillion dollar system failure — the Body of Christ steps in — and Health Care Sharing Ministries are a shining example of that.”
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. 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 Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Beth Bogucki, 610.584.1096, ext. 105, Dawn Foglein, ext. 100, or Richard Jefferson, rjefferson@hamiltonstrategies.com.