How We Rank Health Shares
Zion HealthShare has the highest editorial rating we store, 4.8 of 5. Editors judge six factors and weigh coverage breadth, financial protection, and track record most heavily. The advisor does not hide a second formula: it starts at that rating times 2, then adds the point values in the tables below. A partner payment is not one of those inputs.
- Plans tracked: 16
- Featured line: 4.0 or higher (8 plans)
- Highest rating: Zion HealthShare, 4.8/5
- Advisor start: Stored rating × 2, then the points below
What are the current editorial ratings?
These are the rating fields on the plan files, highest first. A plan at 4.0 or above is featured on the comparison tools. The same files feed the reviews and the side-by-side comparison.
| Plan | Editorial rating | Coverage categories on | Advisor quality points | Calculator quality points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zion HealthShare | 4.8 / 5 | 7 | 12.75 | 55.20 |
| CrowdHealth | 4.6 / 5 | 7 | 12.00 | 50.70 |
| Medi-Share | 4.5 / 5 | 6 | 13.15 | 54.60 |
| Sedera | 4.5 / 5 | 7 | 12.15 | 52.55 |
| CHM (Christian Healthcare Ministries) | 4.4 / 5 | 4 | 11.15 | 51.15 |
| Samaritan Ministries | 4.4 / 5 | 4 | 10.75 | 50.15 |
| Knew Health | 4.2 / 5 | 7 | 11.20 | 48.20 |
| HSA Secure | 4.0 / 5 | 6 | 10.75 | 46.60 |
| Impact Health Sharing | 3.8 / 5 (tracked) | 7 | 10.40 | 45.70 |
| United Refuah HealthShare | 3.5 / 5 (tracked) | 8 | 10.20 | 41.30 |
| JHS Community (Jericho Health Share) | 3.2 / 5 (tracked) | 5 | 9.40 | 37.75 |
| OneShare Health | 3.2 / 5 (tracked) | 4 | 9.00 | 39.15 |
| Liberty HealthShare | 3.0 / 5 (tracked) | 5 | 9.35 | 38.00 |
| Altrua HealthShare | 2.8 / 5 (tracked) | 6 | 9.00 | 35.60 |
| Solidarity HealthShare | 2.5 / 5 (tracked) | 7 | 8.15 | 32.20 |
| netWell HealthShare | 1.8 / 5 (tracked) | 3 | 5.80 | 24.55 |
Advisor quality points are the stored rating × 2, plus 0.4 per included coverage category, plus 1 for a PPO or hybrid network, plus 0.75 at 300,000 members or 0.35 at 50,000 members. Calculator quality points use rating × 10, coverage depth × 0.6, a pre-existing bonus of 3 with no phase-in or 1.5 with a phase-in, member-count steps of 2.5 / 1.5 / 0.5, a founded-year bonus of 0.75 through 2000 or 0.35 through 2015, and 1.25 for a PPO or hybrid network.
What are the six editorial factors?
Editors set the 0-to-5 rating from these six factors. Coverage breadth, financial protection, and track record matter most, because those decide whether a plan helps during a real medical event. The code does not turn that priority into a percent. A precise-looking split would claim more accuracy than the editorial judgment holds.
| Factor | What we read | How it is weighted |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage breadth | Which shareable categories the plan file marks on: telehealth, prescriptions, maternity, mental health, preventive care, emergency care, and surgery. | Weighted most heavily in the editorial rating. The advisor counts how many of those categories are on and adds coverage depth × 0.4. |
| Financial protection | The sharing cap on the plan file, plus years of operation and published sharing history that editors read before setting the rating. | Weighted most heavily in the editorial rating. No separate numeric weight is stored. |
| Track record and trust | Founded year, member count, and accreditation on the plan file. | Weighted most heavily in the editorial rating. The advisor adds 0.75 when member count is 300,000 or more, or 0.35 at 50,000 or more, and adds 1 for a PPO or hybrid network. |
| Cost and value | The published monthly range relative to what the plan includes. | Scored on every plan. In the advisor it is a small fit signal: +1 or +1.5 when the floor price sits in the budget the visitor picked, not a ranking of raw cheapness. |
| Pre-existing conditions | Whether the plan accepts them, and the waiting period and phase-in on the plan file. | Scored on every plan. Advisor points apply only when the visitor says they have a condition: +2 if it is significant and the plan accepts it with no phase-in, +1 if accepted with a phase-in, +1.5 for a minor condition that is accepted. |
| Transparency | Whether the plan file has a current price range and guidelines editors can cite. | Scored on every plan. No separate numeric weight is stored. |
What points does the advisor add for your household?
The personal ranking starts from the advisor quality points above, then adds the fit points for the answers you give. These are the additions in the advisor scoring function.
| When this is true | Points |
|---|---|
| Household size matches a published monthly range | +2 |
| Budget under $150 and the individual floor is under $150 | +1 |
| Budget $150–$250 and the individual floor is in that band | +1 |
| Budget $250–$400 and the individual floor is in that band | +1 |
| Budget over $400 | +0.5 |
| Visitor said Christian, and the plan is Christian-light (a statement of faith, not church attendance) | +4 |
| Visitor said Christian, confirmed church attendance, and the plan is Christian-strict | +3, plus 1 if the plan lists 300,000 or more members |
| Visitor said Christian, did not confirm church attendance, and the plan is Christian-strict | +0.5 |
| Visitor said secular, other, or no preference, and the plan requires no faith statement | +3 |
| Visitor did not ask for a faith plan, and the plan requires one | −4, and a secular visitor is not shown faith-gated plans at all |
| Priority is broad coverage and the plan includes 8 or more categories | +3 |
| Priority is broad coverage and the plan includes 6 or 7 categories | +2 |
| Priority is the lowest monthly cost and the individual floor is under $200 | +1.5 |
| Priority is the lowest monthly cost and the individual floor is under $300 | +1 |
| Priority is maternity, mental health, or an HSA, and the plan file says yes | +3 |
| Visitor wants an HSA and the plan is HSA-compatible | +4 on the fit adjustment (and −4 when it is not) |
| Visitor takes prescriptions and the plan includes them | +2 (and −3 when it does not) |
| A named condition is shared from day one | +5 when the condition is significant, otherwise +3 |
Frequently asked questions
How does WhichHealthShare rank health shares?
Each plan file stores one editorial rating from 0 to 5. Editors set that number from six factors: coverage breadth, financial protection, track record and trust, cost and value, pre-existing condition rules, and transparency. Coverage breadth, financial protection, and track record carry the most editorial weight. The code does not store a percent for those six factors. The advisor then adds the point values on this page, starting with the stored rating times 2.
Which health share has the highest editorial rating?
The highest rating is the top row of the table on this page. That number is the rating field on the plan file, not a vote and not a partner budget. Plans at or above 4.0 are featured.
What point values does the advisor add?
The advisor quality score is the stored rating times 2, plus 0.4 for each included coverage category, plus 1 for a PPO or hybrid network, plus 0.75 at 300,000 members or 0.35 at 50,000 members. Household fit, faith fit, budget, and the visitor’s stated priority then add or subtract the points in the advisor table. Commissions are not an input.
Does a partner payment change a rating?
No. The editorial rating is the number stored on the plan file. quizQualityScore and editorialQualityScore read the rating, coverage count, member count, founded year, network type, and pre-existing flags. They do not read a commission.