Knew Health vs Medi-Share: Secular vs Christian Health Sharing for 2026
Knew Health and Medi-Share offer very different proposals. Knew Health (4.2/5, secular, founded 2019) is a wellness- and prevention-first health sharing community — no faith requirement, any doctor, individual cost $142–$379/month, unlimited cap. Medi-Share (4.5/5, Christian faith required, founded 1993) is the largest health sharing ministry in America — 350,000+ members, individual cost $115–$470/month, PHCS and First Health PPO network with 900,000+ providers, telehealth and partial prescription sharing included, no annual or lifetime sharing cap. If you are not a practicing Christian, Knew Health is the obvious fit. If you are Christian and want the largest, most established community, Medi-Share is hard to beat — though you give up secular eligibility, HSA compatibility (Medi-Share is not HSA compatible either), and Knew's wellness focus. Here is how they compare.
Knew Health
30,000+ members | Founded 2017
From $142/mo
Wellness-focused, non-religious individuals, families, and self-employed people seeking an affordable secular cost-sharing community
Medi-Share
400,000+ members | Founded 1993
From $115/mo
Christian families, established community with 30+ years history
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Knew Health | Medi-Share |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Cost (Individual) | $142-$379 | $115-$470 |
| Initial Unshareable Amount (IUA) | $1,000 / $2,500 / $5,000 | $3,000 / $6,000 / $9,000 / $12,000 |
| Coverage Cap | Unlimited | None — no annual or lifetime sharing cap |
| Faith Requirement | None (secular) | Christian (light) |
| Pre-Existing Wait | Phase-in | 36 months |
| Network | No network restriction | PHCS + First Health (MultiPlan) |
| Prescriptions | Included | Included |
| Mental Health | Included | Included |
| Maternity | Included | Included |
| Processing Time | 30-45 days | 45-60 days |
The Bottom Line
If you are not Christian, Knew Health is your pick; if you are Christian and want the largest, most established community, Medi-Share is the more proven option.
Choose Knew Health if
You are not a practicing Christian (or simply do not want a faith requirement), want a wellness- and prevention-first community built around direct primary care, and are comfortable with a smaller, newer plan (founded 2019). Knew Health has an unlimited cap, caps members at three IUAs per year, and covers telehealth, mental health, maternity, and preventive care. Individual cost runs $142–$379/month.
Choose Medi-Share if
You are a committed Christian who wants the largest and most established health sharing community — 350,000+ members with a 30-year track record. Medi-Share includes telehealth, partial prescription sharing, and TeleBehavioral health. It uses the PHCS and First Health PPO network (900,000+ providers) and has no annual or lifetime sharing cap. Individual cost runs $115–$470/month with a 12-month phased pre-existing wait. Note that ongoing maintenance prescriptions are not shared and in-person outpatient mental health is not covered.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Medi-Share
$115–$470/mo · ★ 4.5
The biggest health sharing ministry — 400,000+ members and Cigna PPO network access.
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