Jericho Share
A Health Care Sharing Ministry
Best Low-Cost Catastrophic Health Share Plan on the Market
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By Wiley Long III, President – HSA for America
Reviewed by Leslie Jablonski – Fact checked by Mike Montes – Updated 2/12/2024
Are you and your family in good health and looking for a health plan that just handles the major and catastrophic stuff, while keeping monthly costs as low as possible?
The Jericho Share catastrophic plan may be just what the doctor ordered.
This innovative medical cost sharing plan is a great option for those looking for a plan focused on catastrophic medical events, while keeping monthly out-of-pocket costs at rock-bottom levels.
On a month-to-month basis, Jericho Share is among the most-affordable plans on the market, and worth a look for any individual or family currently in good health who has some savings to absorb some unexpected healthcare costs in the future.
Jericho Share is not for everyone: If you’re looking for a comprehensive health plan that includes a lot of benefits for primary care and minor health care needs, or if you don’t have the assets to absorb $10,000 to $15,000 in unexpected health care costs if you needed to, Jericho Share may not be a good match for you.
But if you have some assets and you’re primarily looking to protect yourself against potentially bankrupting or life-changing health care costs while keeping your monthly outlays extremely low, Jericho Share is definitely worth a look.
This page discusses how the Jericho plan works, its basic plan tiers and options, and its advantages and disadvantages.
About the Jericho Share Community
How Jericho Share is Different
Many people want a health plan that helps pay for everything from doctor visits, checkups, prescriptions, and everything all the way up to surgery and hospitalization.
Naturally, these more comprehensive plans come at a higher out-of-pocket cost.
But lots of people just want something to protect them from a medical bankruptcy, and to enable access to catastrophic, major medical costs, or emergency room treatment if they need it. Otherwise they want to keep costs to a minimum.
The Jericho Share plan is a great match if you don’t expect to need much healthcare in the foreseeable future, you have $10,000 or $15,000 to pay medical bills (if you had to), but you don’t want to be exposed to the risk of a $100,000 or $500,000 medical event.
If you’re in this situation, Jericho Share arguably represents the best health plan value in the market.
Jericho Share Community Overview
Note: The Jericho Share plan is not a health insurance plan, and should not be confused with traditional health insurance. Instead, it’s an affordable alternative to health insurance in which a group of like-minded people agree to form an association to help share one another’s benefits.
The Jericho Share Community Statement of Religious and Ethical Beliefs
How Jericho Share is Different
All new Jericho Share Community members are ask to affirm they adhere to the following statement of religious and ethical beliefs:
- I believe every member has a fundamental and religious right to worship God in their own way.
- I believe it is my religious and ethical obligation to share in the burden of others when they need assistance according to my current resources and opportunities.
- I believe in sharing in a common, caring community of like-minded individuals with the need to come together regardless of race, age, gender, or political affiliation.
- I believe it is my obligation to care for my family, and that emotional, mental, and physical abuse of any kind to a family member, or to anyone else, is morally wrong.
Unlike some other faith-based health sharing ministries, JHS does not require members be members of any particular church or denomination, nor to attend services regularly.
What Is Health Sharing?
It’s not health insurance, and should not be confused with health insurance. Instead, health sharing is a lower-cost, non-profit, community-based alternative that still helps spread the risk of large medical expenses across thousands of members.
Health Sharing Benefits
- Lower Costs. Health sharing plans have lower monthly costs compared to traditional unsubsidized health insurance premiums – as much as 50% lower.
- Freedom to Choose. Affordable Care Act marketplace plans are dominated by HMOs, PPOs, and EPOs, which restrict patient access to non-emergency care outside of their networks of approved providers. In contrast, most healthsharing plans give you much more freedom to choose your own doctor.
- Values-Based Approach. Many health sharing plans are based on shared ethical or religious values, providing a sense of alignment and community.
How the Jericho Share Program Pays Your Medical Expenses
With Jericho Share, you can select one of three benefit tiers: DISTINCT, DIVERSE, and DYNAMIC.
For each of these plans, you can choose an initial member responsibility amount (MRA) of $2,500, $5,000, and $10,000 per member.
This is the amount you agree to pay out-of-pocket in any given year before your JHS plan will begin sharing costs.
After your MRA, the DISTINCT program will pay 50% of the next $10,000, and then 100% after that.
The DIVERSE program will pay 80% of the next $10,000 after your MRA, before converting to 100% sharing.
The DYNAMIC pays 100% after your MRA, with no co-sharing required on your part.
Note that if you have more than three members in your household, your MRA is capped at three members.
Full details can be seen in the Jericho Share Information Guide.
Jericho Share Membership Tiers
DIVERSE
If you select the DIVERSE tier, you will pay your selected MRA amount before sharing benefits kick in. You can choose an MRA of $2,500, $5,000, or $10,000.
After that, the plan will pay up to 80% of the next $10,000. You can expect to pay the other 20%, or up to $2,000 per member, up to three members.
After that, Jericho Share will share 100% of your included medical expenses for the rest of the year.
So your maximum out-of-pocket exposure under the DIVERSE plan tier is as follows:
- Self-only plans: $12,000
- Member +1: $14,000
- Family plans: $16,000
DYNAMIC
If you select the DYNAMIC plan tier, you can expect to pay the Member Responsibility Amount you select: $2,500, $5,000, or $10,000 per family member, with a maximum of three family members for MRA calculation purposes.
There is no additional MRA: The DYNAMIC plan tier will share 100% of surgery costs, (in- or out-patient), hospitalization costs, and imaging/lab services costs once you meet your selected MRA for the year.
Your maximum out-of-pocket exposure for these costs is the MRA you select when you enroll in the Jericho Share Community Health Share.
The DYNAMIC membership tier is a good match for those who don’t mind paying more in upfront monthly sharing costs, but who want to limit their risk and don’t want to chance having to pay more their MRA.
DISTINCT
This tier has the lowest monthly cost of any of the available plans, and is the most popular tier. But it also has the highest potential out-of-pocket exposure.
With the DISTINCT membership tier, you select a Member Responsibility Amount (MRA) of $2,500, $5,000, or $10,000 per family member. However, you will only have to pay a separate MRA for a maximum of three family members.
After you meet your MRA, the DISTINCT plan will share up to 50% of the next $10,000 in medical costs per family member (up to three family members).
However, the Additional MRA (AMRA) for all Distinct programs will not exceed $5,000 for a member, $10,000 for a member + 1 plan, or $15,000 for a family per membership year.
After that, the DISTINCT membership will share 100% of medical costs.
So under the DISTINCT plan, you have a maximum exposure of $15,000 per family member for up to three family members.
- A self-only plan would have a maximum out-of-pocket exposure of $15,000.
- A plan covering a parent and child, or a couple, would have a maximum exposure of $20,000.
- A plan covering a family of three or more would have a maximum out-of-pocket exposure of $25,000.
The DISTINCT plan is best for those in good health and who don’t expect to consume much healthcare in the foreseeable future, and who have enough in savings or other assets to absorb an unexpected medical bill of up to $15,000, $20,000, or $25,000 in a given year.
| DISTINCT | DIVERSE | DYNAMIC | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult and child wellness services | No visit fee. Eligible at 100% up to maximum of $500/year. | No visit fee. Capped at $2,000 for wellness services per member per year. | No visit fee. Capped at $2,000 for wellness services per member per year. |
| Physician, specialist, and urgent care visits | $40 visit fee | $40 visit fee | $40 visit fee |
| Maximum per office visit | $400, up to 4x per member | $400, up to 8x per member | $400, up to 12x |
| MRA options | Choose $2,500, $5,000, or $1000per member, per member year-not to exceed 3 family members | Choose $2,500, $5,000, or $1000per member, per member year-not to exceed 3 family members | Choose $2,500, $5,000 or $1,000 per member, per membership year - not to exceed 3 family members |
| Additional MRAs | Capped at 50% of next $10,000 per member per membership year. Total AMRAs will not exceed $5,000/member, $10,000 for member+1, or $15,000 for a family membership year. | Shared up to $8,000 for single or multiple births. Life threating complications for mother and/or new baby, MRA applies up to a Maximum Sharing Limit of $40,000. *Nine (9) month waiting period prior to conception. | Shared up to $12,000 for single or multiple birth. Life threating complications for mother and/or new baby, MRA applies up to a Maximum Sharing Limit of $40,000. *Nine (9) month waiting period prior to conception. |
| Imaging and lab fees | 100% shareable after MrA and AMRA are met | 100% shareable after MRA and AMRA are met | 100% shareable after MRA and AMRA are met |
| ER Visits | $400 visit fee, then shared up to $4,000/family member/year | $400 visit fee, then shared up to $8,000 per family member/year. | $400 visit fee, then shared up to $12,000 per family member/year. |
| Hospitalization | 100% shareable after MRA and AMRA are met. 90-day waiting period for non accidental injury. | 100% shareable after MRA and AMRA are met. 90-day waiting period for non-accidental injury. | 100% Shareable after MRA and AMRA are met. 90-day waiting period for non-accidental injury. |
| Surgery | 90-day waiting period for other than accidental injuries. 100% shareable after MRA and AMRA are met. | 90-day waiting period for other than accidental injuries. 100% shareable after MRA and AMRA are met. | 90-day waiting period for other than accidental injuries. 100% shareable after MRA and AMRA are met. |
| Maternity Care | Not eligible. | Shareable up to $8,000/ member for single or multiple births. Life threating complication for mother and/or new baby, MRA and AMRA applies up to a Maximum Sharing Limit of $40,000. *Nine (9) month waiting period prior to conception. | Shareable up to $12,000/ member for single or multiple births. Life threating complications for mother and/or new baby, MRA and AMRA applies up to a Maximum Sharing Limit of $40,000. *nine (9) month waiting period prior to conception. |
| Maximum sharing limit | $250,000 per member/year | $750,000 per member/year | $1 million per member/year |
| Lifetime sharing limit per member | $1 million | $2 million | $3 million |
Telehealth/Virtual Care Benefits
In addition to the sharing above, Jericho Share Community members also enjoy unlimited, free access to MDLIVE, a network of state licensed primary care physicians.
MDLIVE doctors are available for telephone and video consultations 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and 365 days per year.
Paramount Rx Discount Program
All Jericho Share Community members also have access to the powerful Paramount Rx program, which works at over 57,000 participating pharmacies in the U.S.
This is a discount plan rather than a traditional insurance plan. Members receive discounts of up to 20% on brand-name drugs, and up to 70% on generic medications.
Paramount Rx is unlimited, and members can use this benefit immediately upon their membership effective date.
This program can be useful to help pay for drugs that are excluded from your ShareRx tier formulary.
There’s also a 24-hour help desk for members who want to speak with a pharmacist about their medications.
Optional Prescription Drugs Add-on
Jericho Share Community’s ShareRx plan allows members to add additional sharing eligibility for prescription drugs.
There are four “tiers” in the ShareRx option:
ShareRx 1, which allows for up to $3,000 in additional cost-sharing for certain prescription drugs.
ShareRx 2-4. Each of these options tiers allow for unlimited sharing, but higher-tier plans include more drugs on their formularies.
In other words, low-tier plans have more exclusions than high-tier plans.
Click here to view the formularies for each of these ShareRx tier option.
Note: Medications, drugs, and pharmaceuticals are included in ShareRx. You can only receive a 30-day supply per medication. There are no mail-in orders or 90-day supplies allowed.
Based on which ShareRx offering you selected, what is included in ShareRx may vary.
Monthly contributions for prescription drug benefits via JHS are as low as $48.95 for an individual, or $68.95 for your whole family.
Jericho Share Maternity Benefits
Maternity benefits are only included in the DIVERSE and DYNAMIC membership tiers. They are not included in the DISTINCT tier.
The DIVERSE tier shares up to $8,000 for single or multiple births. If there is a life-threatening condition for either the mother or baby, then the DIVERSE tier will share up to an additional $40,000, after you meet the plan’s MRA and AMRA requirements. subject to plan MRA and AMRA.
The DYNAMIC tier shares up to $12,000 for single or multiple births. If there is a life-threatening condition for either the mother or baby, then the DIVERSE tier will share up to an additional $40,000, after you meet the plan’s MRA and AMRA requirements. subject to plan MRA and AMRA.
There is no sharing for maternity under the DISTINCT tier.
Jericho Share members must be sharing members for a minimum of 9 months prior to conception in order to qualify for maternity benefits.
Vision Benefits
Jericho Share Community members have access to GLASSES.com, which provides free lenses with a frame purchase.
96% of orders ship the same day.
The Jericho Share Community Lifestyle Discount Savings Program
One way Jericho Share differentiates itself from other health share ministries is its excellent set of discounts in its Lifestyle Program.
JHS has done more than most health sharing ministries to leverage its significant membership base by arranging for discounts across a variety of lifestyle, entertainment, and hospitality businesses.
Current Lifestyle Program benefits include:
- Up to 70% off at up to 400,000 hotels and resorts around the world via Hotelogical.
- Movie tickets: $11 flat rate movie tickets at AMC theaters (Additional surcharges may apply for premium formats and locations.)
- 15% off spa and wellness gift card purchases via SpaWeek
- Discounts on vitamins and supplements of up to 75% via www.NBBIVitamins.com.
Connect with a Personal Benefits Manager to learn more about Jericho Share’s Lifestyle Savings Program and start saving today!
Exclusions
JHS does not share costs for the following procedures and services:
- Abortion. Costs for abortion of a live fetus are not shareable.
- Alcohol. A member who has taken part in any activity involving alcohol that has caused an injury from a state of intoxication or negligence on the member’s part. This limitation does not apply if the injury: 1) resulted from being the victim of an act of domestic violence, 2) resulted from a documented medical condition including both physical and mental health conditions.
- Cosmetic surgery. Not shareable, unless to correct disfigurement from an accident or illness, a congenital condition, etc. Purely cosmetic procedures, botox, etc. are not shareable.
- Extreme sports. Injuries arising from certain extreme sports, such as helicopter skiing, hang gliding, skydiving, flying ultralight aircraft, motorcycle racing, cliff/mountain wall climbing, etc., are not shareable.
- Long term care. Long-term, custodial care for chronic conditions is not shareable. Contact a PBM about long term care insurance.
- Missed appointments. If you make an appointment with a provider and you no-show and are charged for the appointment, that cost is not shareable.
- Repetitive motion injuries. Costs are generally not shareable.
This is not a comprehensive list of exclusions. For the full list, contact a Personal Benefits Manager, or consult the Jericho Share member guidelines.
Pre-Existing Conditions
- Costs related to illnesses, injuries, or other ailments for which you or a family member received treatment, counsel, diagnosis, or a prescription within the last twelve months prior to your membership start date are not shareable. However, this exclusion does not extend to services or treatments categorized as office visits or urgent care consultations.
- JHS also has a 90-day waiting period on surgeries (other than those necessary to treat accidental injuries) and certain other medical procedures. Again, this does not extend to services or treatments categorized as office visits or urgent care consultations
The Jericho Share Community MultiPlan PHCS Care Network
Jericho Share is unusual among health sharing organizations in that it generally restricts maximum sharing benefits to members who use physicians within the massive MultiPlan PHCS Network.
You must see providers within the MultiPlan PHCS Network for all routine and preventative care visits to be shareable under the JHS program.
This network includes more than one million health care providers nationwide: 920,000 practitioners, 4,800 acute care hospitals and 87,000 ancillary facilities.
This helps keep member costs down.
For most people in good health, and who don’t have a specific doctor requirement in mind, this is a great feature.
It’s also a great feature if your preferred doctors and/or facilities happen to be members of the PHCS Network.
The disadvantage is that Jericho Share members have less flexibility to choose their own doctors compared to most other health share plans.
Click here to see if your preferred doctor or facility is in the PHCS Network.
How To Combine Your Jericho Share Plan with a Health Savings Account
For even greater cost-efficiency and cost savings, you can potentially combine the JHS healthshare with a health savings account, or HSA.
These exciting savings vehicles allow you to set aside money tax free for future medical expenses.
They also let you pay any out-of-pocket medical costs – such as your MRA and AMRA – with tax-free dollars.
We do this by combining the health sharing platform with the HSA MEC solution now available from HSA For America.
“What Is HSA MEC?”
The HSA MEC solution is a low-cost minimum essential coverage (MEC) health benefit plan designed to meet the federal government’s minimum requirements for a high deductible health plan (HDHP), while also covering all preventive care benefits mandated under the Affordable Care Act.
Enrolling in HSA MEC allows you to contribute pre-tax dollars to an HSA.
If you contribute the annual maximum allowed by law, you should soon have more than enough money in your HSA to pay your MRA, AMRA, and other healthcare-related fees and expenses with tax-free dollars by using your HSA.
Note: Currently, HSA MEC is only available to business owners, independent contractors, or those with verifiable income from self-employment.
❗Important: HSA MEC is not a replacement for your Jericho Share health sharing plan. It’s designed to work alongside your existing health sharing plan, at minimal costs.
Typically, the immediate tax, first-year benefits of the maximum HSA contribution – or anywhere close to it – more than offsets the cost of adding HSA MEC.
And HSA MEC has important preventive care benefits of its own, which can also help reduce your out-of-pocket costs for medical care.
Putting It All Together
Jericho Share Community Health Share is a compelling value for those who want an affordable alternative to overpriced traditional insurance plans that helps pay for large and catastrophic medical expenses.
Like all health sharing plans, JHS works best for those who get little or no subsidy from the Affordable Care Act, and who are in generally good health with no pre-existing conditions.
However, for the maximum tax efficiency, savings power, and after-tax benefits, combining a JHS Health Share with the HSA MEC packs a tremendous 1-2-3 punch:
- The Jericho Share Community Health Share Plan helps pay for large and catastrophic health care costs.
- HSA MEC covers routine and preventive care, immunizations, and basic screenings that would otherwise come out-of-pocket. It also makes you eligible to make tax-free contributions to your HSA.
- When you contribute to your HSA, you not only reduce your taxable income dollar-for-dollar; You also fill up a cash “reserve tank” that will enable you to pay any MRA, AMRA, prescription drug costs, and other unshared and unreimbursed qualified medical expenses with tax-free dollars.
The JHS plan helps pay for catastrophic costs, the HSA MEC helps pay for small and routine costs, and the tax savings from your HSA contribution can more than offset the costs of adding the MEC.
Over time, any unneeded funds in your HSA can be accessed penalty-free once you turn 65. You just pay income taxes on any funds you withdraw that aren’t for qualified medical expenses.
To learn more about combining the cost-savings benefits of health sharing with the powerful tax advantages of a health savings account, click here to make a free appointment with a Personal Benefits Advisor.
The Jericho Share Community Health Share Statement of Principles
JHS Community Health Share is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), faith-based Health Care Sharing Ministry.
As such, JHS is a community of individuals and families that agree to a common set of religious and ethical beliefs and who believe in inspiring grace and compassion.
JHS is a faith-based but non-denominational health sharing organization, and is open to members of all faiths and denominations.
A new members must affirm the JHS Community health share statement of principles, which reads:
- “I believe every member has a fundamental and religious right to worship God in their own way.
- I believe it is my religious and ethical obligation to share in the burden of others when they need assistance according to my current resources and opportunities.
- I believe in sharing in a common, caring community of like-minded individuals with the need to come together regardless of race, age, gender, or political affiliation.
- I believe it is my obligation to care for my family, and that emotional, mental, and physical abuse of any kind to a family member, or to anyone else, is morally wrong.”
Learn more about faith-based and secular health sharing options
How To Enroll in the JHS Community Health Share
Click here to self-enroll in JHS now. Before signing up, be sure to review the JHS Information Guide pdf.
Or for more personalized assistance, or help choosing a health share plan, contact a Personal Benefits Manager for a FREE appointment, consultation, and quote.
Who Should Consider the Jericho Share Plan?
Jericho Share can be a great match for those who are generally in good health, who want to keep monthly costs very low, and who can afford to help contribute to part of the cost out of pocket in the event they need medical care.
The Jericho Share plan provides excellent, affordable cost-sharing protection against the cost of major and catastrophic medical events, but members contribute more towards minor and routine medical events than they may with other health sharing plans.
If you are in good health, and can afford to contribute $5,000 to $15,000 in out-of-pocket costs in the event of a significant medical event, JHS provides an outstanding value.
JHS may not be a great fit for those who are very likely to need medical care in the near future or who have pre-existing conditions that need ongoing care.
It’s also not a great fit if the high initial member responsibility amount (similar in concept to a health insurance deductible) would cause you to delay or skip needed medical care.
Need Help? Just Ask!
If you’re in this boat, we can still help! Just click here to make an appointment with a Personal Benefits Manager for help choosing a health plan that better suits your needs.
Don’t worry: Consultations are always free. And we can save you hours of research and stress.
JHS Community is available in all the states except in the following States: WA, OR, MT, ND, MN, WI, CA, NM, KY, PA, NH, MA, CT, MD, DC, AK and HI.
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