Christian health care sharing ministries have become a growing part of America's insurance landscape. They are not insurance. Members pool money to pay for medical care as and when needs arise. It's akin to crowdfunding medical costs. Participants pay a monthly fee, and it's open to those who share common ethical or religious beliefs. The main requirement is that members adhere to a Christian lifestyle.
Christian health care sharing ministries, according to critics, offer members inexpensive medical plans under the guise of insurance, deny preexisting conditions, and are under no obligation to pay medical claims.
Recent lawsuits bring to the surface a complex web of religion, money and health care, unfolding at a time when the country is undergoing a serious public health crisis.