I have decided that this refers to the Jensen Ackles scene in Blonde. And that's ALL it can ever refer to

Unsurprisingly, me too.

Hmm.

a group of Christians who share medical expenses.

Basically, you pay a certain share per month. In our case, it would be under $300, which is less than half of what we pay now. Each month we would send that money to a family who has submitted medical expenses that need reimbursement. If we had a medical need, we’d submit our bill for reimbursement, and other families would send us money.

The $300 or so would only cover us up to $100,000, which isn’t much. So we’d probably opt to pay $400 more per year to be covered up to $1 million. Still, that comes out to less than $350 a month, still a big savings from what we’re paying now.

To become a member of Samaritan Ministries International, you have to be a Christian and be willing to live by some guidelines that are generally accepted by Christians (attend church regularly, don’t abuse drugs, etc.). None of the requirements would be a problem for our family.

So...where does this break down? I understand that you have to live according to good Christian mores--go to church, no drugs, etc. And no pre existing conditions

They don't cover preventative things...like preventing pregnancies? I am not yet sure.

Oh, and:

After you submit your expenses, they are processed and your need is published in the monthly newsletter, so others can pray for you. Specific members will be assigned your need and will send their monthly share to you, so you can pay your bills.

It's pretty clear it's not a national scope problem. Religiously homogeneous communities would do the best.

Yeah, ita, I just read through the site and was fascinated. I can't knock it, since it's not really my business anyway, and it seems to be working for the members? I am just surprised that I've never heard of the concept.

It's basically the concept of the mutual insurance company. My car and homeowners insurance is with Amica, which is a not for profit company and sends a dividend to policyholders (assuming they don't have terrible losses in a given year). I mean, the whole, Christians only, we publish your illness and ask for prayer is a little unusual.

Yeah, it sounds a lot like a co-op/credit union scenario, right? Only with prayer and strict morality guidelines. They actually specifically say that AIDS/HIV contraction has to be through "innocent" means.

So it's more or less a nonprofit insurance co-op? Pretty cool (though less so if any of its subscribers are ranting about the evils of socialized medicine while participating).

I read the website and didn't see any ranting or overt political assertions. It does point out that participation fulfills requirements for the new health care legislation requiring insurance.

A major aspect of the modern insurance industry basically developed out of this kind of thing, often called "mutual aid societies" and organized around trade groups, ethnic groups, etc. (They were also a known phenomenon in ancient times; the Romans had mutual aid burial societies, for example.)

It's basically the concept of the mutual insurance company.

Yeah, I found it weird (and odd and sadly telling) that they're so insistent that it's NOT insurance, dammit, when that's exactly what insurance is.

It's also a really strange transmogrification of the kind of aid societies that congregations in all kinds of religions have always had - part of your dues/collections/whatever goes to the fund that pays out to members in need. Except that in that situation, it's your community that gets the deets and the prayer request, which I find a lot more comfortable, somehow. (And it's also true for non-religious communities: I can't count the number of Buffista fundraisers we've thrown over the years!) I think it's the blurring of lines that weirds me out about it: if all it takes is to sign up and pay a monthly fee, it ain't a community, it's insurance however much you disclaim the word; if it's insurance, it shouldn't also come attached with doctrinal requirements and disclosures of my own damn business.

Group medical options would be a nice practical service for religious organizations to offer.

I've seen similar risk pool methods in small business where employees have catastrophic plans and a 'joint' savings pool covers routine medical care. Monthly contributions are made to the savings account and bills submitted are paid. Cuts out the fat middle man insurance company.

Larger companies sometimes have clinics in house to cut down on costs, particularly with wellness programs which reduce medical premiums and sick days.

It seems like more of this kind of thing could happen. I'd be willing to consider many options that don't involve giving tons of money to the Evil insurance company. Gotta be a better way.

In other news, off to watch basketball. Go Heat!