Health Share Plans in Utah
G&M Independent Insurance offers health share plans as an alternative to traditional health insurance for individuals, families, and small businesses in Utah looking for a lower-cost way to protect against major medical expenses.
What Is a Health Share Plan?
A health share plan (also called medical cost sharing) is a membership-based program where a community of members contributes a monthly amount, and those funds are used to help pay eligible medical expenses when a member has a qualifying health need. Instead of paying a premium to an insurance company, you’re joining a community that shares costs directly.
Most health share organizations are nonprofit, and many are faith-based, though not all require a religious affiliation to join. Members typically choose an Initial Unshareable Amount (IUA) — similar to a deductible — that they pay out of pocket before a medical need becomes eligible for sharing.
How Health Share Plans Differ From Traditional Health Insurance
- Not insurance: Health share plans are not regulated as insurance and are not subject to ACA requirements. Sharing of medical costs is voluntary, not guaranteed by contract the way an insurance claim is.
- Lower monthly cost: Monthly contributions are often significantly lower than comparable health insurance premiums.
- Provider freedom: Most health share plans let you see any doctor or hospital, with no network restrictions.
- Pre-existing conditions: Many health share plans limit or phase in sharing for pre-existing conditions over time, unlike ACA-compliant plans which must cover them immediately.
- Underwriting and guidelines: Some plans have health questionnaires, lifestyle guidelines, or statements of belief members must agree to join.
- Year-round enrollment: Unlike ACA marketplace plans, most health share plans allow enrollment any time of year, not just during open enrollment.
Health share plans work well for many healthy individuals and families who want protection from large, unexpected medical costs and are comfortable with a different cost-sharing structure than traditional insurance. They’re not the right fit for everyone — if you have significant pre-existing conditions or want guaranteed coverage, a traditional health insurance plan may be a better fit, and we’re happy to help you compare both.
Health Share Plans We Offer
G&M Independent Insurance works with the following health share organizations. Click through to learn more about each one’s plans and pricing:
- Zion HealthShare — a Utah-based, non-religious medical cost sharing community
- Sedera — a nonprofit medical cost sharing community with no religious requirement
- netWell — a faith-based Health Care Sharing Ministry
- Planstin — health share membership plans, including options paired with Direct Primary Care
- Altrua HealthShare — a faith-based health sharing ministry serving members nationwide
- MPB Health — membership access to qualified health share programs with a dedicated health advisor
- OneShare Health — an Anabaptist-based Health Care Sharing Ministry
Not sure which health share plan is the right fit for you? Request a quote or contact your agent and we’ll walk you through the options.