Zion Health Review 2026: Costs, Coverage, and Who It's Best For

Zion Health stands out in the health sharing space for one reason that comes up immediately: no faith requirement. Most health sharing plans — Medi-Share, Samaritan, CHM — require you to be an active Christian. Zion is open to anyone who commits to a healthy lifestyle, regardless of religious beliefs or lack thereof.

That makes Zion one of a small number of truly faith-neutral health sharing options, and it's a meaningful distinction for the sizable portion of people who are drawn to the cost savings of health sharing but aren't practicing Christians.

This review covers what Zion costs in 2026, what it covers and doesn't, how the IUA system works, and where it fits best compared to other options.

Who Is Zion Health?

Zion Health is a health sharing ministry based in Scottsdale, Arizona, founded in 2019. It's newer than Medi-Share (which dates to 1993) or Samaritan Ministries (1994), but it has grown steadily and has a solid track record for a newer organization.

The model follows the standard health sharing structure: members make monthly contributions that are pooled to cover each other's eligible medical bills. Zion operates as a nonprofit. It does have a community guideline component — members agree to maintain a generally healthy lifestyle (no tobacco, moderate alcohol at most), but this is lifestyle-based rather than specifically Christian.

Zion Health is a health sharing ministry under section 501(c)(3), which means membership qualifies for the ACA exemption from the individual mandate penalty (though the federal mandate penalty is $0 since 2019, some states still have their own).

How Zion's Cost Structure Works

Zion uses an Initial Unshared Amount (IUA) — the equivalent of a deductible. Before the community shares your medical costs, you pay the IUA amount. After that, eligible bills are shared.

You choose your IUA when you enroll. Lower IUA means higher monthly costs; higher IUA means lower monthly costs.

Sample monthly estimates (2026):

| Situation | IUA | Est. Monthly | |-----------|-----|-------------| | Single adult, age 28 | $1,000 | ~$110–135 | | Single adult, age 28 | $3,000 | ~$80–100 | | Single adult, age 40 | $1,000 | ~$165–200 | | Single adult, age 40 | $3,000 | ~$120–150 | | Married couple, both 32 | $1,000 | ~$280–330 | | Married couple, both 32 | $3,000 | ~$200–240 | | Family of 4, parents 35 | $1,000 | ~$450–520 | | Family of 4, parents 35 | $3,000 | ~$320–380 |

These are ranges based on recent published rates — get a current quote for exact pricing, as rates can adjust.

The IUA applies per incident, not annually. This is different from an insurance deductible. If you have two separate health incidents in a year, you pay the IUA for each. However, a single incident (like one illness or injury and all related treatment) is treated as one event with one IUA.

What Zion Health Covers

Zion shares costs for a broad set of eligible medical needs:

Eligible for sharing:

• Doctor visits and urgent care
• Emergency room care
• Hospital stays and surgeries
• Specialist visits
• Imaging (MRI, CT, X-rays)
• Lab work
• Maternity — prenatal through postpartum (after a membership waiting period for new conditions)
• Telehealth visits
• Physical therapy and rehabilitation
• Ambulance services

Limited or not shared:

• Pre-existing conditions: not shared for the first 12 months; after 12 continuous months of membership, new treatment for pre-existing conditions may become eligible
• Prescription drugs: Zion members have access to discount prescription programs (like GoodRx equivalents) but ongoing maintenance medications aren't shared as a standalone cost
• Mental health: limited coverage — typically some outpatient visits after meeting IUA
• Dental and vision: not included
• Cosmetic or elective procedures: not shared
• Substance abuse treatment: not shared

The pre-existing condition treatment is fairly standard across health sharing plans. If you have a managed condition like Type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure, expect to pay out-of-pocket for related costs during your first year of membership.

Zion's Approach to Provider Networks

Zion does not operate a traditional insurance network the way Medi-Share (which uses Cigna) does. Instead, Zion uses a direct-pay, reference-based pricing model.

In practice, this means you can see any licensed provider. Zion negotiates bills after the fact, often reducing them significantly from the billed amount before calculating your IUA responsibility. Some providers are more familiar with health sharing than others — larger hospital systems and more established practices typically handle the process smoothly. Smaller independent providers may need a bit of guidance on the billing process.

For people who want the flexibility to see any doctor without a network constraint, this is a real advantage. For people who rely on specific specialists or want predictable in-network pricing before the appointment, Medi-Share's Cigna network is more familiar territory.

Zion does provide a bill negotiation service for large bills, which can deliver substantial savings on hospital and surgical costs. Members submit large bills and Zion works to negotiate them down before sharing kicks in.

No Faith Requirement — What That Actually Means

This is worth spending a moment on, because it's genuinely different.

Most health sharing plans were explicitly built around Christian community principles. Medi-Share requires members to affirm they are active Christians attending church. Samaritan Ministries is similar. Christian Healthcare Ministries explicitly requires agreement with Christian values. These plans work well for their intended audience, but they're simply not accessible to people outside that community.

Zion's requirements are lifestyle-based: no tobacco use, alcohol only in moderation, a commitment to maintaining reasonable health. There's no statement of faith, no church attendance requirement, no religious affiliation check.

This opens health sharing to a much broader group — secular households, people of different faith traditions, or even practicing Christians who just prefer a plan that doesn't make faith a condition of coverage.

Zion vs. Medi-Share: The Core Comparison

These two come up together most often because both are legitimate, well-regarded options with different target audiences.

Monthly cost: Zion tends to be slightly less expensive per month for younger members (under 35). Medi-Share gets more competitive at older ages, partly due to its larger membership base and network infrastructure.

Provider access: Medi-Share's Cigna network gives you pre-negotiated rates at in-network providers. Zion's direct-pay model gives you flexibility to see any provider, with post-service negotiation on large bills.

Faith requirement: Medi-Share requires active Christian faith. Zion requires only a healthy lifestyle commitment.

Maternity: Both cover maternity after a waiting period. Medi-Share requires 300 days of membership before maternity is shareable for new conditions; Zion has similar waiting period requirements for pre-existing or new conditions.

Community size: Medi-Share is significantly larger (400,000+ members), which means more stability in the sharing pool. Zion is smaller but has grown consistently since 2019.

Track record: Medi-Share has 30+ years of operation. Zion has about 6 years. Medi-Share wins on longevity.

The honest verdict: if you're a practicing Christian and the faith-community aspect appeals to you, Medi-Share has more history and infrastructure. If you want the same cost savings without the faith requirement, Zion is the strongest option in that category.

Zion vs. CrowdHealth

CrowdHealth is another newer faith-neutral plan that's drawn a lot of attention. The main differences:

• CrowdHealth is tech-first with an app-based experience; Zion is more traditional in structure
• CrowdHealth's cost model is fund-based (you contribute to a health fund, community crowdfunds larger bills); Zion follows the traditional IUA/sharing model
• CrowdHealth tends to appeal to younger, self-employed people comfortable with a newer approach; Zion feels more like a traditional plan to most members

Both are solid for the right person. CrowdHealth's model involves more member participation in the process; Zion's is more hands-off.

What Members Say About Zion

Member feedback on Zion trends positive on a few consistent points:

• Fast member service response times (better than some larger plans)
• Bill negotiation team is effective on large bills
• Clear communication about what's eligible and what isn't
• The flexibility to see any provider without network restrictions

Common friction points:

• Some providers aren't familiar with the health sharing process and need education
• Pre-existing condition waiting period catches some new members off guard
• Prescription drug coverage gap (maintenance medications) is a real limitation for people on regular medications

Is Zion Health Worth It?

For healthy adults without significant ongoing medical needs, the math usually works in Zion's favor compared to ACA insurance — especially at the $3,000 IUA level. Monthly costs in the $80–150 range for a single adult vs. $300–500+ for ACA coverage is a meaningful difference.

The no-faith-requirement factor makes Zion accessible to a population that couldn't comfortably join Medi-Share or Samaritan. That's not a small thing — it opens the door for a lot of people who otherwise might have dismissed health sharing entirely.

The caveats are the same as any health sharing plan: it's not insurance, there's no guarantee of payment, pre-existing conditions have waiting periods, and it's not the right fit for people with ongoing complex medical needs.

For a healthy single adult or family without major pre-existing conditions who wants significant monthly savings and values flexibility in provider choice — Zion is one of the best options available in 2026.

See how Zion compares to every other plan on our list — our comparison tool lets you run a side-by-side view of Zion against Medi-Share, CrowdHealth, Samaritan, Sedera, and Presidio based on your household and health situation.