MediShare is one of the oldest and largest health sharing programs in the country. But is it the best one? In this MediShare comparison guide, we’re comparing two of the most popular healthshare memberships: MediShare vs. Zion HealthShare. We’ll use six different comparison points to see which healthshare comes out on top, including membership requirements, monthly cost, membership options, and more.
MediShare vs. Zion HealthShare Comparison [Key Takeaways]
- Both MediShare and Zion HealthShare provide a viable and low-cost alternative to health insurance, but healthcare sharing is not the right choice for everybody.
- MediShare is the best option for anyone looking for a community that fits with their Christian lifestyle. Their 98% customer satisfaction rating is unmatched in the industry.
- Zion HealthShare is a more modern healthshare program, offering membership to everyone regardless of religion or faith. Their DPC healthshare option is custom-tailored to work alongside an Essential membership.
- The best healthshare membership for you will depend on your age, location, budget, and health needs, among other factors.
New to All This? Here Are the Pros and Cons of Health Share Memberships
Before making any educated healthshare comparison, it’s necessary to know a little more about how medical cost sharing programs work.
Here are the basic pros and cons of health share memberships to get you started:
Health Share memberships: Pros
- More affordable than unsubsidized insurance
- You don’t have to pay for coverage that you’re not using
- Totally legal alternative to Obamacare
Health Share memberships: Cons
- More limitations than insurance for preventive care, primary care, and pre-membership conditions
- Many (but not all) healthshare memberships have annual and/or lifetime cost sharing limits
- Some hospitals and doctors do not accept MediShare
Read More: “All You Need to Know About Healthshare memberships” – HSA for America
MediShare vs. Zion HealthShare: How to Compare Healthshare memberships
This healthshare comparison guide will consider both MediShare and Zion HealthShare using the following points of comparison:
- Statement of Faith / Statement of Principles: Faith-based healthshare organizations require members to agree to a statement of faith, while non-religious healthshare memberships may require adhering to an even more flexible Statement of Principles.
- Membership Requirements: Most health sharing programs require members to maintain certain health standards, like abstaining from illegal drugs. Faith-based health shares may require members to agree to Biblically-inspired lifestyle requirements like going to church.
- Monthly Cost: Healthshare members submit a voluntary monthly contribution in order to gain access to cost sharing.
- Annual Household / Member Portion: Like traditional insurance, healthshare memberships require members to cover a certain predefined dollar amount before cost sharing “kicks in”. MediShare calls this the Annual Household Portion, or AHP. Zion HealthShare calls this the Initial Unshareable Amount, or IUA.
- Membership Options: Most healthshare organizations offer a number of different memberships, each with different monthly cost, annual member commitment, additional features, and more.
- Sharing Limits: Health share memberships may come with daily, annual, or lifetime sharing limits. This is the highest dollar amount that will be cost-shared by your specific membership.
membershipHealthshare Comparison Guide: MediShare vs. Zion HealthShare
Part I: Statement of Faith | |
|---|---|
| Medishare Statement of Faith: MediShare’s Statement of Faith is mandatory for all members. It is based on the Biblical principles of integrity, community, and spiritual excellence, and is designed to strengthen MediShare’s Christian member community. | Zion HealthShare Principles of Membership: Zion HealthShare’s Principles of Membership is a series of 5 non-religious statements that members must attest to. These include the belief in community, sharing one another’s healthcare cost, practicing good health measures, and caring for the physical and mental well-being of family members. |
Part II: Membership Requirements | |
|---|---|
| MediShare Membership Requirements:
| Zion HealthShare Membership Requirements
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Part III: Annual Household / Member Portion | |
|---|---|
| MediShare Annual Household Portion MediShare members must meet the Annual Household Portion (AHP) before they can access cost sharing through the community. Members can choose from seven different AHP options, ranging from $3,000 to $12,000. The higher the AHP, the lower the monthly cost of that specific program. | Zion HealthShare Initial Unshareable Amount Zion HealthShare members can choose an Initial Unshareable Amount of $1,000, $2,500, or $5,000. |
Part IV: Membership Options | |
|---|---|
| MediShare Membership Options MediShare offers only one medical cost sharing program for all of its members. However, members can choose from a range of cost options. | Zion HealthShare membership Options Zion HealthShare has three different IUA options for their main membership. They also offer a DPC Healthshare Membership that is designed to work alongside an existing Essential membership. Zion HealthShare also offers healthshare programs that are built exclusively for small businesses. |
Part V: Cost Sharing Limits | |
|---|---|
| MediShare Sharing Limits MediShare does not impose an annual or lifetime limit on any of its members. | Zion HealthShare Sharing Limits There is no lifetime limit on the dollar amount that can be shared by a Zion HealthShare member. |
MediShare Review: “Christian Health Insurance” (That’s Not Really Insurance)
MediShare has been around for a long time, offering members of the Christian faith a new way to pay for medical expenses. Since the beginning, MediShare has offered sharing programs for less than half the cost of unsubsidized insurance memberships.
The biggest advantages of MediShare are a low monthly cost, and the opportunity to join like minded people in an explicitly faith-based community. MediShare is also popular for their health incentive program, which makes it possible for members to lower their rates even further by completing simple health tasks.
Q: Is Medi-Share Insurance Legitimate?
Medi-Share is a legal, legitimate company; however, it is not an insurance company. Healthshare memberships like those offered by MediShare are private, membership-based cost sharing programs. Read More: “Does MediShare Cover Dental” – HSA for America
MediShare vs. Zion HealthShare: Final Comparison Verdict
The best healthshare membership for you will depend on a few things, including:
- Your current health
- Your ongoing medical needs, including prescriptions
- Your budget
- Your personal preferences
MediShare is a good choice for people who want to enroll in a Christian health sharing program and don’t mind committing to a biblical Statement of Faith. MediShare is also one of the largest and longest-running HCSMs, which gives them added credibility in the growing healthshare market.
Read the Full HSA for America Health Sharing Memberships Comparison Guide
Would you like to get a better grasp of medical cost sharing and how it works? Visit our website to read our complete guide, ‘Best Healthshare Memberships Comparison Guide 2025’.
Ready to sign up for MediShare or Zion HealthShare? With HSA for America, you can get free, expert help from your very own Personal Benefits Manager. Click here to schedule a no-cost consultation, or give us a call at 800-913-0172 to get started.
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Here are some additional articles on healthsharing programs: MediShare vs. OneShare Health: How Two Popular Health Sharing Memberships Compare | The Most Effective Healthcare Strategies for Small Businesses With Less Than 50 Employees | OneShare Health Review – 2025 Update
Hi! I’m Mike Montes, and I’m one of your Personal Benefits Managers. I like working with HSA for America because we’re creating solutions to healthcare problems. Our focus on money-saving alternatives like HSA plans and health sharing programs, and the variety of health share programs we offer, are what set us apart. Read more about me on my Bio page.
