Samaritan Ministries Review 2026

By The WhichHealthShare EditorsReviewed June 2026
Short answer

Samaritan Ministries is best for committed Christian members seeking traditional health sharing. The catch: strict faith requirements.

What it does well
  • ✓Established since 1994
  • ✓250,000+ members
  • ✓$250,000 per-need cap (Classic); Save to Share for amounts above
  • ✓Any doctor
Watch out for
  • !Strict faith requirements
  • !No telehealth
  • !12-month waiting period for pre-existing
  • !5-year wait for cancer/heart/hereditary; type-1 diabetes permanently excluded
What would Samaritan Ministries actually cost you?

Published pricing, as of 2026-10-19.

Household
Initial unshareable amount (IUA)
Monthly share
$210
Worst realistic year — a bad year, two events at the IUA
$3,120
12 months of shares plus two unshareable-amount events. Doesn't include any enrollment or annual fee that may apply — Samaritan Ministries doesn't publish one broken out by IUA tier, so we're not guessing at it.

How Samaritan Ministries compares

Samaritan Ministriesfrom $210/mo
Strict Christian · Pre-existing wait: 12 months
Read review →
Knew Healthfrom $178/mo
Secular · Pre-existing wait: Phase-in
Read review →
CHM (Christian Healthcare Ministries)from $115/mo
Strict Christian · Pre-existing wait: 12 months
Read review →

Looking for a better fit?

Two quick next steps if this plan isn't your match

Samaritan Ministries requires a Christian statement of faith plus church-leader verification of regular attendance, and there is no enrollment link for it here. If that rule, or sending your share directly to another member each month, doesn't suit your household, start with one of these.

  1. 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. 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.

Frequently asked questions

Samaritan Ministries individual plans start at $210/month and go up to $400/month depending on your IUA selection. Family plans start at $735/month. These are 2026 verified rates.
Our verdict
4.4/5from $210/mo · Committed Christian members seeking traditional health sharing
S
4.4
out of 5
Samaritan Ministries
Individual
from $210/mo
Family
from $735/mo
Verified 2026-10-19
Who should skip Samaritan Ministries
  • ·You don't practice the required faith — membership isn't open to you here.
  • ·You're managing a pre-existing condition and need it covered sooner than 12 months.
  • ·Strict faith requirements
Find a better fit with the Advisor →

Not sure this is your plan?

Answer a few questions and the free Advisor matches your household to the best-fit plan — no email required to see results.

Take the 2-minute Advisor

Plans you can enroll in

Samaritan Ministries has no enroll link here. If you’re still weighing options, these are comparable plans you can join from this page.

Zion HealthShare

4.8/5

from $114/mo · Anyone without faith requirements, best overall value

Medi-Share

4.5/5

Monthly share varies · Christian families, established community with 30+ years history

Not sure which alternative fits? Ask the advisor → or compare all plans.

How Samaritan Ministries compares head-to-head