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Health Sharing Plans in California (2026)
Health sharing is legal in California but does NOT satisfy the state individual mandate. California residents may owe a penalty of 2.5% of household income or $900+ per adult. Read this page fully before enrolling.
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California Individual Mandate — Important Disclosure
California law requires residents to maintain ACA-compliant health coverage. Health sharing plans are not ACA-compliant and do not satisfy this requirement. If you enroll in health sharing and have no other qualifying coverage, you may owe a state tax penalty when you file your California return.
Health sharing can still make financial sense in California for the right person — but the math is more complicated here than in states without a mandate. This page lays out the full picture so you can decide with complete information.
California's Individual Mandate — What It Costs
California reinstated its own individual mandate in 2020 after the federal mandate penalty was reduced to zero. Under California law, residents who lack minimum essential coverage for any month of the year pay a penalty when filing their state taxes.
The penalty is the greater of:
- 2.5% of household income above the filing threshold, or
- Flat dollar amount — $900 per adult, $450 per dependent child in 2026 (indexed annually)
For a single person earning $80,000, the 2.5% calculation produces approximately $1,600 per year (2.5% of income above the ~$17,000 threshold). The flat amount would be $900. California would assess the larger figure — $1,600.
The honest calculation
If health sharing saves you $400/month vs ACA ($4,800/year) but you owe a $1,600 penalty, your net savings are $3,200. That can still be worthwhile — but you need to factor in the penalty, not ignore it.
Penalty calculations are complex. Consult a California tax professional for your specific situation.
Check Covered California Before Switching
California operates Covered California, one of the most robust state ACA exchanges in the country. Subsidies here are significant — and the ACA benchmark premium for California is $570/month (KFF 2026), which is meaningfully lower than Texas ($661) or many other states.
With enhanced federal subsidies extended through 2025 (and potentially beyond), many California residents qualify for substantial help:
- Income under ~$62,000 (single) or $125,000 (family of 4): likely subsidy-eligible
- Income under 250% FPL (~$38,000 single): eligible for cost-sharing reductions on Silver plans
- Income under 150% FPL (~$23,000 single): may qualify for near-zero premium coverage
If you fall into any of these brackets, run the numbers on Covered California before choosing health sharing. The combination of subsidies plus avoiding the mandate penalty often makes ACA the better financial choice for mid-income Californians.
Who Health Sharing Makes Sense for in California
Despite the mandate complexity, health sharing can still be the right call for a specific profile of California resident:
High earners above the subsidy cliff
If your income is well above 400% FPL (~$62,000+ single, $125,000+ family of 4), you receive no ACA subsidy. Full-price ACA at $570/month or more gets compared against health sharing at $185–$379/month — even after factoring in the mandate penalty, the math can favor health sharing by thousands per year.
Self-employed with variable income
California has one of the largest freelance and gig economies in the country. Self-employed residents with unpredictable income sometimes find health sharing attractive for its month-to-month flexibility — though the mandate penalty applies regardless of how long you are enrolled.
Residents who understand and accept the penalty
The mandate penalty is real, but it is finite. If your health sharing savings significantly exceed the penalty — which is possible for high earners — the net savings still make health sharing worth considering. The key is doing the math explicitly, not discovering the penalty at tax time.
Plan Availability in California
Not all health sharing memberships accept California residents. Three featured memberships are closed here:
CrowdHealth, Knew Health, and Sedera — Not Available in California
CrowdHealth explicitly excludes California residents. Knew Health is also not available in California. Sedera is not available in California. Sedera is also unavailable in New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Washington. If one of those was on your shortlist, look at the memberships that still accept California residents.
Health Sharing Plans Available in California
5 plans are currently vetted and accepting new members in CA. Pricing shown is the starting individual monthly cost for 2026.
Zion HealthShare
No faith requirement
Zion HealthShare is a modern health sharing ministry founded in 2019, based in St. George, UT, with 75,000+ members. Monthly contributions start at $114 for individuals and $334 for families, with unlimited sharing per need (no annual or lifetime cap) and no faith requirement. No provider network — members can see any doctor. Includes telehealth, prescriptions, maternity, mental health, preventive care, emergency, and surgery. Pre-existing conditions phase in over 4 years: nothing shared year 1; up to $25,000/request in year 2; up to $50,000/request in year 3; up to $125,000 per 12-month period from year 4 onward (permanent cap). Exception: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes are shareable from day one if the member was not hospitalized for them in the prior 12 months.
Medi-Share
Christian faith required
Medi-Share is a Christian bill-sharing ministry with nearly 350,000 members as of October 2025, founded in 1993, with over $8 billion shared and discounted, and based in Melbourne, FL. Medi-Share Complete (under 65) uses an Annual Household Portion (AHP) of $3,000, $6,000, $9,000, or $12,000 — similar to a deductible. Medi-Share does not price sharing by events or tiers. Medi-Share 65+ is a separate program with a $500 AHP. The monthly share varies by AHP, date of birth, marital status, state, and household size; WhichHealthShare does not publish a universal rate card. Sharing is limited to $50,000 the first month of membership. See Medi-Share Guidelines for limitations on sharing of pre-existing conditions and maternity. Pre-existing conditions are not shared for the first 36 months; after 36 months shared up to $100,000 per member per year, and after 60 months up to $500,000 per member per year. The provider network is First Health (1,000,000+ providers). Out-of-network care can leave extra amounts ineligible for sharing. Telehealth and telebehavioral health are available. Maternity may be eligible for married members when conception is after membership began and the AHP is met, up to $125,000 per pregnancy. Eligible prescriptions for a new injury, accident, or illness may be shared for up to 6 months. A Trinitarian statement of faith and active church involvement are required.
CHM (Christian Healthcare Ministries)
Active Christian required
CHM (Christian Healthcare Ministries) is the most affordable health sharing ministry, founded in 1981, with 300,000+ members based in Barberton, OH. Monthly contributions start at $115 for individuals and $345 for families, with a $125,000 per-illness sharing cap. The optional CHM Plus add-on ($42/unit/month) extends coverage to $1M per illness (Silver/Bronze) or unlimited (Gold). Strict Christian faith requirement including church attendance. Pre-existing conditions are no longer pre-existing after 12 months symptom/treatment-free (cancer requires 5 years cancer-free). Covers maternity, preventive, emergency, and surgery with any doctor — no network.
Samaritan Ministries
Active Christian required
Samaritan Ministries is an established health sharing ministry founded in 1994, based in Lancaster, PA, with 250,000+ members. Monthly Classic shares are $210-$400 for individuals and $650-$760 for 2-person households (rates effective July 1, 2026, by age of oldest participant), plus a $200 startup fee, with a $250,000 per-need cap (Classic). Requires strict Christian faith and church attendance. Pre-existing conditions share at 50% for the first year; cancer, heart, and hereditary conditions require 5 years symptom-free; type-1 diabetes is permanently excluded.
HSA Secure
No faith requirement
HSA Secure is purpose-built for HSA compatibility among health sharing products: it pairs Zion HealthShare (secular, founded 2019, 75,000+ members) with a MEC (minimum essential coverage) preventive insurance policy so the HDHP/MEC structure is handled in one product. Zion is also marked HSA-compatible on this site without that same bundled MEC product. Sedera membership by itself does not qualify for an HSA, per Sedera's guidelines. Monthly contributions start around $114/month for individuals. The plan covers preventive care, telehealth, prescriptions, maternity (after 6-month wait), emergency, and surgery. There are no network restrictions, no annual or lifetime sharing caps, and no faith requirement. IUA tiers are $1,250, $2,500, or $5,000 (the $1,000 tier was retired January 1, 2026). The main trade-offs: mental health is not directly shareable, and pre-existing conditions follow a phased sharing schedule (nothing shared months 1-12, up to $25,000/yr months 13-24, up to $50,000/yr months 25-35, up to $125,000/yr from month 36) — without Zion Direct's day-one chronic carve-outs.
Common Questions — California
Is health sharing legal in California?
Health sharing ministries can legally operate in California and accept CA members. However, they do not satisfy California's individual mandate requirement. Residents who choose health sharing over ACA-compliant coverage may owe a state penalty at tax time.
What is the California mandate penalty?
The penalty is the greater of 2.5% of household income above the filing threshold, or $900 per adult ($450 per dependent child), whichever is higher. For a single person earning $80,000, this works out to approximately $1,600 per year. The penalty applies for each month you lack qualifying coverage.
Does health sharing satisfy the California mandate?
No. Health sharing plans are generally not considered minimum essential coverage under California law and do not satisfy the individual mandate. Plan to include the penalty in your cost analysis if you are considering health sharing.
Is CrowdHealth available in California?
No. CrowdHealth explicitly excludes California residents from enrollment. Knew Health is also not available in California. Other memberships — Zion HealthShare, CHM, Medi-Share, and Samaritan Ministries — are available to CA members. Sedera is not available in California.
Should I check Covered California first?
Yes, especially if your income is below 400% of the federal poverty level (~$62,000 for a single adult in 2026). Covered California subsidies can significantly reduce your ACA premium, and you avoid the mandate penalty entirely. If you earn too much for subsidies, compare the after-penalty health sharing cost against full-price ACA.
Find the Right Plan for California
Our quiz factors in state availability and budget. For California residents, make sure you have checked Covered California subsidies and understand the mandate penalty before enrolling.
Our top pick
Zion HealthShare
from $114/mo · ★ 4.8
Our highest-rated plan (4.8/5): no faith requirement, HSA-compatible, broad coverage, and managed conditions shared from day one.
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