Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM) and Samaritan Ministries represent two fundamentally different approaches to health sharing in 2026. Before comparing them, the baseline worth knowing: the NAIC classifies both as not insurance, with no state-regulated guarantee of payment — an important distinction from ACA plans, which must cover you by law. CHM ($115-$299/month) operates like traditional insurance with monthly bills and centralized processing, while Samaritan ($199-$365/month) uses direct member-to-member sharing where you mail checks to specific families. For budget-conscious Christians, CHM's lower cost wins. For community-focused believers who want personal connection, Samaritan's model creates deeper relationships despite higher monthly costs.

Head-to-Head Comparison

Monthly Cost Breakdown

Individual Costs (Age 30-50)

CHM Bronze: $115/month ($1,380/year)

• $5,000 IUA per incident
• Gold level: $190/month ($2,280/year)
• Best for: Very healthy people who rarely need care

Samaritan Basic: $220/month ($2,640/year)

• Minimum personal responsibility: $300/incident
• Classic: $160–$495/month (varies by household size and age; $495 is the largest-family rate)
• Best for: People who value community connection

Annual savings with CHM: $1,260+/year (Bronze vs Basic)

Family of 4 Costs (Parents 40s, 2 kids)

CHM:

• Bronze: $360/month ($4,320/year) + $5,000 IUA
• Gold: $660/month ($7,920/year) + $5,000 IUA

Samaritan:

• Basic: $660/month ($7,920/year)
• Classic: $715/month ($8,580/year)

First-year cost comparison (with 1 incident, no IUA):

• CHM Bronze: $4,320 + IUA
• Samaritan Basic: $7,920 + $300 personal responsibility
• Winner depends on your IUA level — Samaritan's higher monthly cost may be offset by lower out-of-pocket per incident

The Sharing Model: Centralized vs Member-to-Member

CHM: Centralized Processing

How it works:

1. Pay monthly bill to CHM central office ($115-$299)
2. Submit medical bills to CHM
3. CHM processes and pays provider directly (or reimburses you)
4. Average processing time: 45-60 days

Pros:

• Familiar insurance-like experience
• No need to interact with other members
• Predictable monthly bill
• Faster processing than Samaritan

Cons:

• No personal connection to other members
• Feels transactional, not community-based
• $5,000 IUA per incident adds significant cost

Samaritan: Member-to-Member Sharing

How it works:

1. Submit need to Samaritan central office
2. Samaritan assigns your need to specific members
3. Members mail checks directly to you (not to providers)
4. You pay providers with member checks + your own funds
5. Average time: 30-90 days to receive all checks

Pros:

• Personal connection: receive cards and prayers with checks
• Community accountability (know who you're helping)
• No IUA: share from first dollar after $300
• Members report feeling more invested

Cons:

• Must manage provider payments yourself
• Receive 50-200 individual checks per need (manual work)
• Slower than CHM (waiting for mail)
• More administrative burden

Real-World Cost Scenarios

Scenario 1: Healthy Individual (1 Minor Event/Year)

35-year-old with urgent care visit ($600 bill)

CHM Bronze ($115/month):

• Annual cost: $1,380
• IUA applies: Pay $600 yourself (under $5,000 IUA)
• Total: $1,980/year

Samaritan Basic ($150/month):

• Annual cost: $1,800
• Pay $300, share $300
• Total: $2,100/year

Winner: CHM saves $120/year for healthy people with minor events

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Scenario 2: Family with Emergency Surgery ($25,000 bill)

Family of 4, appendectomy ($25,000)

CHM Bronze ($360/month):

• Annual cost: $4,320
• Pay $5,000 IUA yourself
• CHM shares remaining $20,000
• Total: $9,320/year

Samaritan Basic ($450/month):

• Annual cost: $5,400
• Pay $300, share $24,700
• Total: $5,700/year

Winner: Samaritan saves $3,620 for families with major events

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Scenario 3: Multiple Events (2 Hospital Visits)

Self-employed, 2 ER visits ($8,000 + $12,000)

CHM Bronze ($115/month):

• Annual cost: $1,380
• Event 1: Pay $5,000 IUA, CHM shares $3,000
• Event 2: Pay $5,000 IUA (new incident), CHM shares $7,000
• Total: $11,380/year ($1,380 + $10,000 IUA)

Samaritan Basic ($150/month):

• Annual cost: $1,800
• Event 1: Pay $300, share $7,700
• Event 2: Pay $300, share $11,700
• Total: $2,400/year ($1,800 + $600 out-of-pocket)

Winner: Samaritan saves $8,980 for people with multiple incidents

Want to model your own scenarios with real numbers? Our cost tools let you plug in your health history, expected usage, and household size to see exactly what CHM vs Samaritan would cost you over 1, 3, and 5 years.

Faith Requirements and Culture

CHM: Protestant Focus

Requirements:

• Believe in Jesus Christ as Savior
• Attend church regularly
• Abstain from tobacco and illegal drugs
• Live according to Christian lifestyle guidelines

Culture:

• Inclusive of all Christian denominations (Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox)
• Less emphasis on community connection
• More transactional, business-like feel

Samaritan: Deep Christian Community

Requirements:

• Believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior
• Attend church regularly (with pastor verification)
• Abstain from tobacco, illegal drugs, alcohol abuse
• Live according to New Testament principles

Culture:

• Strong emphasis on bearing one another's burdens
• Monthly newsletter with member testimonies
• Prayer cards included with sharing checks
• More conservative, community-focused

Key difference: Samaritan members report feeling part of a "family," while CHM feels more like a low-cost insurance alternative.

Pre-Existing Conditions

CHM doesn't run a fixed clock on membership length — a pre-existing condition stops being "pre-existing" once it's gone 12 months symptom/treatment-free (no maintenance meds, documented in your medical records), or 5 years cancer-free for cancer. Samaritan has a 12-month waiting period, then phases in sharing gradually. This is a sharp contrast to ACA plans, which under the Affordable Care Act are prohibited from imposing any waiting period for pre-existing conditions.

Conditions affected:

• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Asthma
• Heart disease
• Arthritis
• Any ongoing treatment

What this means:

• If you join with diabetes, your diabetes-related costs are NOT shareable until you've gone 12 months symptom/treatment-free — not just 12 months of membership
• You pay 100% out-of-pocket for medications, doctor visits, and complications until that 12-month symptom-free clock is met
• After 12 months symptom/treatment-free, the condition becomes fully shareable like any other need, with no percentage cap

Estimated cost during that period:

• Diabetes: $300-$600/month medication + visits
• Hypertension: $50-$150/month
• Asthma: $100-$300/month

Total 12-month out-of-pocket: $600-$7,200 depending on condition

What Gets Shared vs Not Shared

Both Plans Share:

✅ Emergency room visits ✅ Hospital stays ✅ Surgeries ✅ Imaging (MRI, CT, X-ray) ✅ Lab work ✅ Maternity (after 10-month wait) ✅ Accidents and injuries

Neither Plan Shares:

❌ Routine checkups (annual physicals) ❌ Preventive care ❌ Prescription medications (ongoing) ❌ Dental ❌ Vision ❌ Mental health counseling (some exceptions for crisis)

CHM-Specific Exclusions:

• No sharing for injuries from illegal activity
• No sharing for self-inflicted injuries
• Limits on sharing for obesity-related conditions

Samaritan-Specific Exclusions:

• No sharing for pre-marital pregnancy
• No sharing for injuries during participation in extreme sports (some exceptions)

Processing Speed: How Fast Do You Get Paid?

CHM Processing Timeline

Typical claim:

1. Submit bill to CHM (online or mail)
2. CHM reviews (7-14 days)
3. CHM pays provider or reimburses member
4. Total: 30-60 days average

Member reviews: "Faster than Samaritan but slower than real insurance"

Samaritan Processing Timeline

Typical need:

1. Submit need to Samaritan central office
2. Samaritan publishes need in monthly newsletter
3. Members receive newsletter and mail checks
4. You deposit checks (50-200 individual checks)
5. You pay provider
6. Total: 30-90 days average

Member reviews: "Checks trickle in over 2-3 months. Must be patient."

Winner: CHM (slightly faster, less manual work)

Which Plan Should You Choose?

Choose CHM if:

✅ You want the lowest monthly cost ($115-$299/mo) ✅ You're very healthy with few medical events (minimize IUA impact) ✅ You prefer insurance-like simplicity (no mailing checks) ✅ You want faster processing (45-60 days vs 30-90) ✅ You value size and stability (300,000+ members, 45+ years) ✅ You have pre-existing conditions — CHM reaches full, uncapped sharing at 12 months symptom-free, while Samaritan only hits 50% at 12 months and 100% at 24

Choose Samaritan if:

✅ You value community and connection (prayer cards, personal sharing) ✅ You're comfortable with manual admin (depositing individual checks from members) ✅ You prioritize Christian community over lowest cost ✅ You're healthy with no pre-existing conditions (Samaritan's 12-month wait won't affect you)

⚠️ Consider Alternatives If:

• You have pre-existing conditions: CHM needs 12 months symptom-free for full sharing; Samaritan reaches 50% at 12 months and 100% at 24. Try Zion HealthShare (day 1 for BP/cholesterol/diabetes; others phase in)
• You need prescription coverage: Neither plan shares medications. Look into health sharing with HSA strategy
• You want guaranteed coverage: Health sharing is voluntary, not insurance. Consider ACA marketplace

Bottom Line

For most people: CHM is the better financial choice. Monthly savings of $100+/month vs Samaritan are significant. If you're healthy with few medical events annually, CHM's lower cost compounds over years. KFF benchmark data shows unsubsidized ACA premiums run $400–$700/mo for individuals in most markets — so even Samaritan at $199–$365/mo still offers real savings for those who don't qualify for subsidies.

For community-focused Christians: Samaritan's member-to-member model creates relationships and accountability that CHM's centralized model can't match. Members receive prayer cards with every check — that's a different experience than a bill from a corporate office.

For anyone with pre-existing conditions: CHM reaches full, uncapped sharing at 12 months symptom-free — faster than Samaritan, which only hits 50% at 12 months and 100% at 24. Neither beats Zion's month-1 coverage for hypertension, cholesterol, and diabetes.

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Compare All Your Options

Not sure which plan fits your specific situation? Take our 2-minute quiz and we'll recommend the right plan based on your:

• Health status and pre-existing conditions
• Budget and household size
• Faith preferences
• Medical history

Take the Quiz →

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Still Want More Comparison?

See how CHM and Samaritan stack up against Medi-Share, Zion, CrowdHealth, and Sedera:

View Full Comparison →