Comments from its subscribers:
https://m.yelp.com/biz/sharity-ministries-atlanta
Here's a quote from its CEO:
“As a Christian, I felt it was not right to leave our members hanging out like that. I can’t tell you how many times since then I have sobbed about all those tens of thousands of families who are without the means to pay their medical bills. For many of them, I’m sure it destroyed their lives.”
Joe Guarino has since been convicted of fraud and ordered to pay back $4.7m.
Sharity’s site said its programs “provide an affordable and effective faith-driven health care option for those who believe in individual responsibility, healthy living, and carrying one another’s medical burdens” and cost about half the price of typical health insurance. Members had to sign a Christian faith commitment and agree to abstain from risky behaviors.
From a story by New Hampshire Public Radio (NH being one of the states where these grifters operated):
”Health care sharing ministries do not have to follow regulations that apply to traditional insurers, including the consumer protections included in the Affordable Care Act. Monthly premium fees are often less than traditional health insurance, though members aren’t guaranteed coverage for any health care procedure.”
I truly hate these jerks who take advantage of dumb and trusting people who think that something labeled “Christian” will automatically be honest, fair, and caring. (Yeah, yeah, I’m sure a lot of their customers are more stupid or greedy than dumb and trusting, but some of them were really deceived.)
@flwolverine I've wondered about this. A few years ago (BC: Before Covid) when I'd stream Dallas Stars hockey games on The Ticket while on the road, one of these medishare scams "companies" was one of the ads that played and all I could think every time I heard it was "how is this remotely financially sustainable, feasible or ethical?" Now with Covid, there's absolutely no way that one of these scam companies (organizations? Fauxsurance?) would be able to pay for multiple patient medical bills relating to it even if they were on the up and up which it was clear they weren't.
They were very careful not to use the word 'insurance' anywhere in their documents or on their website so that they weren't subject to industry regulations.