title: "Faith-Based vs Secular Health Sharing: Which Community Fits You?" description: "Faith-based ministries (Medi-Share, CHM, Samaritan) vs secular options (Zion, Sedera, CrowdHealth). What each model offers." author: "WhichHealthShare Editorial" published: "2026-02-08" updated: "2026-02-08"

Health sharing markets itself in two distinct communities: faith-based ministries (Medi-Share, CHM, Samaritan) emphasizing spiritual care alongside medical sharing, and secular alternatives (Zion, Sedera, CrowdHealth) offering cost-sharing without religious framing. The choice isn't primarily about cost—it's about community values, lifestyle expectations, and whether faith integration feels natural or restrictive to you.

The Market Split

Faith-Based Dominates:

• Medi-Share: 500K members (largest overall)
• CHM: 100K members (cheapest)
• Samaritan Ministries: 40K members (prayer partner emphasis)
• Catholic United: 12K members (Catholic-specific)
• Liberty HealthShare: 7K members (strict lifestyle)

Secular Growing:

• Zion HealthShare: 35K members (no faith requirement as of Jan 2026)
• CrowdHealth: 15K members (crowdfunding model, no faith)
• Sedera: 8K members (explicitly secular since founding)
• OneShare Health: 5K members (secular, tech-forward)

Faith-Based Ministries: Spiritual Care Bundled

Faith-based health sharing integrates prayer, spiritual community, and healthcare.

What faith-based offers:

• Spiritual support alongside medical sharing
• Community prayer circles and encouragement
• Lifestyle alignment (if important to you)
• 30+ years of established track records (Medi-Share since 1992)
• Larger member bases (500K for Medi-Share)

What faith-based requires:

• Active faith commitment (statement required)
• Adherence to lifestyle guidelines (varies by plan)
• Religious community participation (emphasis varies)
• Acceptance of faith-based framing for healthcare

For whom it works:

• Christians who want faith-integrated healthcare
• People who value spiritual support during illness
• Communities where church is central to life
• People comfortable with faith-based organizations

For whom it doesn't work:

• Secular people or atheists
• People uncomfortable with religious requirements
• Anyone who feels faith requirements are invasive
• People who view healthcare as separate from spirituality

Secular Options: Values-Aligned Without Faith

Secular health sharing offers cost-sharing without religious framing or requirements.

What secular offers:

• No faith requirement
• No lifestyle restrictions rooted in theology
• Community values alignment for non-religious people
• Explicit secular positioning (especially Sedera)

What secular requires:

• Acceptance of smaller member bases (8K–35K vs 100K–500K)
• Less historical data (Zion is 40 years old; Sedera is ~15 years; CrowdHealth is 5 years)
• Comfort with newer infrastructure (smaller plans have fewer established processes)

For whom it works:

• Secular people or atheists
• People uncomfortable with faith requirements
• Those who view healthcare as distinct from spirituality
• Anyone wanting cost-saving without religious affiliation

For whom it doesn't work:

• Faith-based people who want spiritual healthcare integration
• Those seeking large-scale institutional stability
• Anyone uncomfortable with smaller communities

The Trade-offs Clearly

| Factor | Faith-Based | Secular | |--------|-------------|---------| | Spiritual Support | Built-in | Not available | | Community Size | Larger (100K–500K) | Smaller (8K–35K) | | Historical Data | 30+ years (some) | 5–15 years | | Lifestyle Restrictions | Yes (theology-based) | No | | Faith Requirement | Yes (required statement) | No | | Cost Competitiveness | Varies (CHM is cheapest) | Zion competitive | | Pre-existing Coverage | 6–12 month waits | Zion: day 1; others: 6–12 months |

Cost: Not the Primary Differentiator

Faith-based:

• CHM: $115–$264/month (cheapest overall)
• Medi-Share: $227–$405/month (expensive, largest)
• Samaritan: $150–$350/month (moderate)

Secular:

• Zion: $185–$268/month (competitive, dropped faith requirement)
• Sedera: $180–$280/month (similar to Zion)
• CrowdHealth: $140/month + 30–43% fees (lowest base, but fees compound)

Cost varies within each category more than between categories. CHM (faith-based) is cheapest overall. CrowdHealth (secular crowdfunding) has the lowest base monthly.

The choice isn't "faith-based is cheaper" or vice versa—it's "does the community fit my values?"

Real Scenario: A Secular Person Forced to Choose Faith-Based

Situation: A 45-year-old atheist, self-employed, wants cheap health coverage. Shops health sharing because of cost advantage.

Problem: Most plans require faith.

Historical options (pre-2026):

• Had to choose Medi-Share/CHM despite faith requirements (violates values)
• Or choose insurance (higher cost)
• Or accept religion-based community despite discomfort

2026 options:

• Choose Zion (now secular-friendly)
• Choose Sedera (explicitly secular since founding)
• Choose CrowdHealth (no faith, crowdfunding model)

The expansion of secular options in 2026 addresses a real gap: secular people were forced into faith-based communities just to access affordable health sharing.

Real Scenario: A Faith-Based Person's Spiritual Need

Situation: A Christian wants healthcare integrated with spirituality.

Value from faith-based: Samaritan's prayer partner model, community prayer circles, spiritual encouragement during illness.

Secular plans can't offer this. Cost-sharing works the same, but the spiritual infrastructure is absent.

For this person, Samaritan's higher cost ($150–$350/month) is justified by spiritual care, not just medical sharing.

The Trust Factor

Faith-based plans leverage trust through religious community. "Members pray for each other" creates implicit accountability and care.

Secular plans rely on mutual aid framing without religious obligation. CrowdHealth's "healthcare crowdfunding" depends on community generosity, not faith-based duty.

Some people trust faith-based accountability more. Others trust secular mutual aid more. Neither is objectively better—it's psychological fit.

The Stability Question

Larger plans (Medi-Share, CHM) provide more stability because size absorbs claim shocks. Newer secular plans (Sedera, OneShare, CrowdHealth) carry higher pool volatility risk.

If stability is your top concern: Faith-based large plans win.
If values alignment is your top concern: Secular options win.

The Bottom Line

Choose faith-based if:

• Spirituality integrated with healthcare matters to you
• You want the stability of large established communities
• You're comfortable with faith requirements and lifestyle guidelines
• You value prayer and spiritual community during illness

Choose secular if:

• Faith requirements feel invasive or wrong
• You want healthcare separate from spirituality
• You prioritize values alignment over community size
• You're comfortable with smaller pools for integrity reasons

The real question isn't about cost or coverage—it's about community values. Choose the one that feels right to you.

Methodology

Comparison reflects 2026 plan structures, member counts, community positioning, and stated values.

Want more details? Faith-based plans, Secular plans, All options compared