Ky. court rules Christian-only health plan is insurance

Dispatch ^ | August 26, 2010 | AP

[combat_boots]

(No story. Link only. Interesting thought.)

[combat_boots]

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[combat_boots]

Link to Medi-Share: http://mychristiancare.org/program_options.aspx

[Nachum]

Which means it is subject to unfunded mandates and lawsuits.

Prediction: Medishare leaves this state.

[The Pack Knight]

I have to agree with the court, assuming they were right about how Medi-Share operates. When you look past all the disclaimers and religious and “charitable” trappings, Medi-Share appears to have essentially been an insurance union - a customer-owned, non-profit insurance company.

The dissent’s reasoning that Medi-Share isn’t “in the insurance business” just because its members, rather than some separate company, bears the risk is just like saying that a credit union isn’t in the banking business.

[Outlaw Woman]

‘The health care bill and its application to conservative Christians’

http://www2.starexponent.com/cse/news/opinion/columnists/article/the_health_care_bill_and_its_application_to_conservative_christians/54434/

According to this article, there is already an exemption for this in the HC bill. This is from March of this year and is a short read and one worth considering.

[The Pack Knight]

I noticed this statement from the article:

A legislative white paper written by the Citizens Council on Health Care in January 2010 just after the Senate inserted that exemption, noted that, “There are three medical sharing ministries in the United States: Medi-Share, Christian Healthcare Ministries, and Samaritan Ministries International. They serve from 25,000 to 42,000 people. … Common membership requirements include an agreement not to smoke, drink heavily or use illicit drugs. Members must attend church regularly, and agree not to have sex outside of marriage … monthly fees for a family of four are between $240 and 400.”

The Democrats passed their mandatory health care bill, yet all conservative Christians are exempt if they want to be — and the only requirement is that they have to live a biblical lifestyle.

Living a biblical lifestyle is not necessarily the only requirement. What the article fails to note (and the Kentucky Supreme Court did note) is that Medi-Share, at least, also excludes individuals based on certain pre-existing conditions, just like conventional health insurance does.

[Outlaw Woman]

I noticed that too. I didn’t note the pre existing condition clause..will have to reread the post. My brother is currently looking into the Samaritan Ministries. My own vices would preclude me (smoking/drinking). I’m not doing anything yet though.

[muawiyah]

A Biblical lifestyle might, in some quarters, be more like that of Nebuchadnezzer than what we usually think of.

Watching the Sopranos lately, and I see the possibilities here.

[RJR_fan]

Samaritan ministries no longer excludes people who enjoy “natural” (undistilled) adult beverages. Good news for those of us who enjoy a few beers.

It’s a way of helping folks in straitened circumstances, who could not afford regular insurance.

And yes, it “discriminates” against sodomites — that 4% of the population that “enjoys” 60+% of the syphilis, and nearly a monopoly on Gay-Related Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome (GRIDS — better known today by a less accurate acronym).

[Outlaw Woman]

Oh that’s good to know. lol.. I generally drink only wine or beer. I admit that I’ve indulged in shots of Jack now and again though but it’s rare. Glad they do exclude the depraved. I have to say though that I’m extremely suspicious of why an exemption for ‘Conservative Christians’ would be inserted into the marxist bill to begin with. Any thoughts on that? Of course my mind immediately flashes to a ‘database’ with names. Paranoid?

Anyway, thank you for letting me know about the ‘non distilled’ spirits! lol Now...if I could kick smoking, I may have a chance.

[The Pack Knight]

The pre-existing condition clause actually wasn't mentioned in the post, either. It was mentioned in the Kentucky Supreme Court opinion at page 4, a PDF of which can be found here.