CHM vs Samaritan: what changes your decision?
CHM and Samaritan Ministries are Christian health sharing ministries, not health insurance. Compare the specific program's monthly contribution, the amount you pay before sharing starts, and the rules for your medical history. A lower monthly payment can leave you responsible for more of a medical bill.
Program details checked September 30, 2026, including Samaritan's September sharing-limit update.
Compare monthly cost and your share of a bill
| Program | Published monthly contribution | Your initial responsibility for an eligible non-maternity need |
|---|---|---|
| CHM Bronze | $115 per unit | $6,000 |
| CHM Silver | $169 per unit | $3,000 |
| CHM Gold | $299 per unit | $1,250 |
| Samaritan Basic | $125–$525, depending on membership | $2,000, then a 10% co-share |
| Samaritan Classic | $210–$925, depending on membership | $1,000 |
CHM prices use membership units; Samaritan's ranges cover different household sizes and ages. Get your household's monthly contribution before comparing annual costs. Samaritan also charges a $200 startup fee; include it in your first-year total.
CHM shares 100% of eligible bills under its guidelines after the program's personal responsibility. Samaritan Classic shares 100% of eligible non-maternity needs above its initial unshareable amount. Basic shares 90%, with a maximum cumulative $2,500 non-maternity co-share.
Sources: CHM programs, Samaritan Basic, Samaritan Classic, Samaritan membership costs.
What would a $10,000 eligible bill look like?
For one entirely eligible non-maternity need, before discounts, proration or other payments:
| Program | Your portion of the bill | Remaining eligible amount |
|---|---|---|
| CHM Bronze | $6,000 | $4,000 |
| CHM Silver | $3,000 | $7,000 |
| CHM Gold | $1,250 | $8,750 |
| Samaritan Basic | $2,800: $2,000 plus 10% of $8,000 | $7,200 |
| Samaritan Classic | $1,000 | $9,000 |
Monthly contributions and ineligible charges are additional. Sharing follows each ministry's guidelines; Samaritan can prorate shares when available funds are insufficient. Discounts can change Basic's calculation.
Source: Samaritan sharing amounts and proration.
How much can each program share?
CHM Bronze, Silver and Gold publish a $125,000 lifetime maximum per eligible illness without CHM Plus.
CHM Plus costs another $42 per unit per month. With Gold, it provides unlimited cost support per eligible illness. With Silver or Bronze, additional support builds in $100,000 annual increments, up to $1 million per illness; the full limit is not available immediately.
Samaritan's September 2026 guidelines set the maximum shared amount for an eligible non-maternity need at $500,000 for Classic and $497,500 for Basic. Its optional Save to Share program addresses larger qualified needs. Maternity follows separate rules.
Sources: CHM Plus, Samaritan September 2026 changes.
What happens to pre-existing conditions?
CHM considers signs, symptoms, testing and treatment before joining. Maintenance medication counts as treatment. Its published rule requires a documented year without signs, symptoms or treatment for a condition to cease being pre-existing; cancer has a separate five-year rule. Maintained conditions can have separate sharing arrangements.
Samaritan generally requires a condition to appear cured, followed by 12 months without symptoms, treatment or medication. Certain cancers, heart conditions and hereditary or genetic conditions have five-year requirements. Pre-existing Type 1 diabetes has a specific exclusion.
Joining for a year does not automatically make an ongoing condition shareable. Ask the ministry to assess your history before relying on sharing for that condition.
Sources: CHM pre-existing-condition FAQ, Samaritan pre-existing-condition guidelines.
Check membership fit before comparing price
Both ministries have Christian membership and worship requirements. Samaritan also requires church-leader verification. Check that your household qualifies before comparing contributions.
Sources: CHM membership FAQ, Samaritan membership requirements.
Before joining, write down your household contribution, the amount you could pay for an eligible need, and the care you expect outside sharing. Get specific answers about ongoing treatment and maternity where relevant.
Use our side-by-side comparison to organize your shortlist or plan advisor to compare the wider set of options.
Looking for a better fit?
Two quick next steps if this plan isn't your match
CHM and Samaritan both require Christian membership and worship commitments, and neither has an enrollment link here. If those requirements don't fit your household, or you want to compare a wider set of plans, start with one of these.
1. Get matched in about two minutes. The free Advisor compares your household, budget, and faith preference against every plan we track. No email is needed to see results.
Take the free Advisor →2. Want a plan you can join today? Zion HealthShare has no faith requirement, no network (see any doctor), and shares bills for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes from day one when the condition is managed and you were not recently hospitalized for it.
As an alternative, Medi-Share is a Christian membership that asks for a statement of faith without church-attendance verification. Read the Medi-Share review.
Christian sharing community
Medi-Share
Monthly share varies · ★ 4.5
A Christian bill-sharing ministry established in 1993. Get a personalized monthly share quote and review first-month and condition-specific eligibility limits before joining.
Not sure which plan fits you?
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