What is a Healthshare?
So, how does it work?
indipop plans do not function like traditional insurance, but they still keep you healthy and safe. Instead of a premium and deductible, you become a member of the “community” that shares the cost in medical needs. These plans are also known as healthshares, membership and cost sharing.
They are in place for the expenses you know are coming, but will also provide peace of mind for those unexpected moments that happen to us all. Each plan can function a little differently and may offer different services, but the goal is the same: they leverage a concierge or care team to help guide you, ensuring you receive the best care at the right cost.
A typical saving for health-conscious individuals is around 40%. For families, it can be as high as 70%. These plans can be utilized by anyone, but are very popular with entrepreneurs, contractors, freelancers, and the self-employed to receive cost-effective medical coverage.
What can I expect?
A membership or subscription based plans are another approach to managing medical needs and functions differently than conventional insurance.
These plans have terms like Initial Unshareable Amount (IUA) and/or a Member Responsibility Amount (MRA) that varies from plan to plan. The IUA and/or MRA are your responsibility to pay per medical incident before the community (the health share organization) shares in your medical expenses.
For example, if you need surgery, your IUA or MRA will determine how much you have to pay out of pocket before the bill is shared with the community. If surgery is $10,000 and your plan IUA or MRA is $1,000, then you would have a set amount of $1,000 for the medical need and the community pool would pay the rest of the $9,000. In some cases as a member of the plan, if you know a surgery might be needed at a future date, loop in the healthshare as soon as possible, your member responsibility amount might even be lowered because you provided the healthshare time to negotiate.
What is the difference between indipop plans and health insurance?
The most significant difference between health insurance and healthshares are that healthshares aren’t governed by the Affordable Care Act (ACA.) (though there are indipop plans that meet the ACA criteria)
Because of that, the terms a healthshare uses are different than insurance.
So, a “premium” becomes a “contribution”
or “membership.”
A “deductible” becomes a “member responsibility or unshareable amount.”
A “covered” medical expense becomes a “shared expense” with the community.
And a “claim” becomes a “need.”
Where the difference really matters is in what “needs” can be “shared” with the community vs. what is “covered” by an insurance company.
The ACA mandates health insurance companies to cover all kinds of things that not everyone needs. That means that you often wind up paying for things you never use.
Healthshares are different. Because they aren’t insurance and aren’t regulated by the ACA, they are free to tailor their plans to meet members’ needs.
Here’s a great example: let’s say you have seasonal allergies and you need a prescription once a year so you can get some relief. With an insurance plan, you’ll go into an office, speak with a receptionist, who will then put you in an exam room so you can see a medical assistant, and then, finally, your physician.
Your healthshare will connect you with a provider either by phone or virtually. You won’t pay for the office, receptionist, exam room or nurse. You’ll only see the provider– who will write you the same prescription.
| indipop Healthshare | Traditional Medical Insurance | |
| Monthly & Annual Cost | Healthshares rates are 20%-70% less | Rates are based on age and earnings |
| Pre-existing conditions | Healthshares have a look back period, 12-24 months. If a condition has been resolved or currently medically managed it may not be considered pre-existing. | Rates can be determined depending on past medical conditions. |
| ACA Requirements | Several indipop plans meet all ACA requirements, Several others meet portions as indipop offers plans without hospitalization too. | ACA mandates health insurance companies to cover all kinds of things that not everyone needs.Customers often wind up paying for things they never use. |
| Government Regulation | Healthshares are free to tailor their plans to meet members’ needs. | Patients often find regulations bureaucratic, complex, and confusing. |
| Networks | Keep the providers you want to work with. | Depends on the plan you enroll in. May be limited to your state and offer a different rate outside your area. |
| Preventative Care: | Several indipop plans offer preventive care, if desired. | Preventive care is now free on most plans. |
| Same Benefits State to State | indipop plans have the same benefits across state lines. | Check to see if the networks and coverage for the plan selected is available if you travel out of state or country. |
| On-Demand 24/7 Telehealth | All indipop plans include virtual health. | Selected plans may offer virtual care. |
| Maternity | indipop plans offer prenatal and maternity for under $4000. | Varies by plan. Read the fine print. |
| Lifetime or Annual Caps | Indipop plans are hand selected to ensure no caps for care.
| Varies by plan read the fine print. |
| 24/7 Concierge Care | Healthshares leverage a team to guide care and help the member with their health need. You are not just an ID card.
| Concierge services are rare in traditional insurance, but available for premium pricing. |
| Transparent Pricing | Healthshares use the healthcare blue book for fair medical pricing.
| Rates can depend on network plan and coverage. |
Are healthshare plans legit?
Yes, they are legitimate healthcare coverage. Healthshares have been around for more than 40 years and millions of people have opted to choose a healthshare over a traditional medical insurance company.
Healthshares are a different approach to healthcare and managing medical needs. It is a membership that offers concierge care, lower rates, and fair pricing. The membership or contribution goes toward a community pool which is then used to pay medical bills. Healthshare perks like telehealth and concierge services dramatically reduce the cost of everyday & preventative medical care. That means there’s a lot leftover in the pool for major medical expenses and emergencies, so your monthly contribution remains small and affordable.
The benefits of subscription healthcare
There are many benefits of membership plans that traditional medical insurance lacks:
- Concierge care without the VIP sticker shock, a team to help guide and navigate care ensuring you are treated like a human and not an ID card. They help get you well by also saving you time not waiting in congested urgent cares or trying to find a provider in the middle of the night to inquire about your child’s rash. You get quality care right from your own couch.
- Large or open network
- Transparent fair medical pricing, from Tulsa to Brooklyn you will have access to the fair medical rate, not the inflated insurance costs.
- Portable, use in all 50 states perfect for kids in college or travel
- Flexible- enroll all year long on your timeline
- Affordable- 20-70% savings monthly and annually
- No lifetime or annual caps on indipop plans
- No reimbursement model, indipop plans do not have you pay the medical bill and wait months to be reimbursed.
- Thinking about growing your family? Maternity is a benefit with pre and post natal care.
How Do I Enroll?
