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Over one million American families nationwide are using health-sharing as a means of facilitating sharing of healthcare costs among members. Jewish Americans are no exception – with thousands benefiting from an affordable healthcare system that maintains their values.
United Refuah HealthShare, the first and only Jewish Health-sharing organization, and member of the American Institute of Health-Sharing, is a thriving community based on the principles of health, savings, and values. To date, membership spans 28 states…and continues growing! For good reason, too – as a non-profit organization, United Refuah HealthShare takes steps to keep costs low, without compromising standards of care or the values of its members.
Here’s how:
- Low Administrative Costs:
United Refuah HealthShare operates with a low administrative overhead. After the first two months of membership, 86% of each member’s funds goes directly to share medical expenses.
- Medical Cost Sharing:
Each member makes a nominal monthly contribution to their RefuahShare Account. After the deduction of a minimal amount used to cover administrative expenses, co-shares, and an annual pre-share amount, the balance remains in the account to be used to share in other members’ eligible medical expenses.
- Your Health. Your Choice:
It’s your healthcare, and United Refuah respects your choice of providers. Additionally, the advisory services offered through United Refuah HealthShare assist members in navigating the healthcare system, to enable members to utilize the best combination of quality and price.
- Putting the “Health” Back in Healthcare:
United Refuah utilizes integrated healthcare management, via BowTie Medical, to keep their members healthy. Members commit to living healthier lifestyles which generally results in fewer medical incidences, lower costs per medical incident, and much more rapid recoveries. United Refuah HealthShare also offers members complimentary unlimited access to telemedicine with board certified physicians, as well as significant savings on prescriptions, dental services, vision care, and durable medical equipment.
- Shared System of Torah Values
United Refuah is based on the moral and Torah principles that it is an inherent obligation for members to maintain their health and wellness and to promote the best life possible for themselves and their families. Moreover, members do not share in procedures that run contrary to Torah values or are medically unnecessary.
For more information or to become a member, visit UnitedRefuahHS.org or call 440.772.0700.
United Refuah HealthShare is not an insurance company and does not offer insurance.
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17 Comments On "Yes, Affordable Healthcare Is Available! Find Out How United Refuah HealthShare Can Help You!"
All opinions expressed below are user generated and the opinions aren’t provided, reviewed or endorsed by any advertiser or DansDeals.
2 issues that have held me from signing up and that if they would address would probably get them more signups;
1. What about medications? Do they cover or offer assistance for that. There is no mention of it anywhere
2. The healthy lifestyle clause sounds like an easy way to deny any claim. They will tell someone he needs to lose weight and if he doesn’t lose what they say and something down the line happens (unrelated) they will deny coverage and then he will be left with crazy medical bills. This is my biggest issue. This has to be addressed and clarified
Bingo! Plus limitations and absolute maximum allowances on benefits
They only cover inpatient medicine, and they have a special program for overweight, etc. for an additional $45 or $65 a month (depending on the situation).
The medications are through RxValet. My particular medication is about $25 more than on my prior employer’s insurance, but taking account monthly premiums, I’m saving about $2500/year on UR.
I’m not sure how the lifestyle clause is enforced. My “wellness checkup”/health coach session was basically a phone call asking about my life. No in person check-up or blood draws as I’ve done with other insurances– basically a Torah values “promise” system? Thankfully, I keep a very healthy lifestyle and BH haven’t had a serious medical issue, so I have taken the gamble this year on dropping my employer’s insurance and switching to UR.
Assuming I never have to see a doctor in person (free “telemedicine” appointments), skip my checkups to the dentist, and don’t need a change in my glasses prescription– that $2,500 is pocketed savings lol. The advertised “dental service discounts” are unclear, so I am not sure what that savings is and probably won’t know until I bill out the benefit.. as is usually the case in insurance land…
Overall, I’m ok with the choice so far (3 weeks into the waiting period?), but I’m deeply surprised/concerned that there isn’t ANY preventative care coverage here. The advertised savings strategy is that members are encouraged to “maintain a healthy lifestyle” to reduce costs, yet the most documented, statistically significant effectiveness is preventative care. Since this is a “health share”, and costs are distributed to all members, I would vote for adding preventative care coverages for physicals/dental/eye care as a long term strategy to reducing costs.
I already had my flu shot for the season, but I think even that will be an out of pocket expense.
I would recommend to show up at the local community mall with a table and brochures and have a representative explain for poeple what it is all about, like fidelis and all other insurance companies are doing.
It is important to understand this IS NOT INSURANCE. You could be left high and dry with huge health care bills that could potentially bankrupt you. This is not my opinion, this is what they state on their website at the page https://www.unitedrefuahhs.org/sharing-guidelines/
There might be mitzvas involved but please read all details before you go without insurance.
Dan, please consider these facts and mae the proper heads up lest you end up inadvertently leading people up a wrong path.
It says clearly on that ad that this is not insurance. If you want proper insurance go ahead and buy it. I like this idea “health-sharing” you get more bang for your buck, instead of making some insurance company rich.
Yosef, it is more detailed than the simple disclosure. A simple hospitalization can cause somebody to lose their home if not covered. The term proper insurance is meaningless, either you have insurance or you do not. This plan tells you that you register in the Hospital as self pay and there is no guarantee they will pay.
In my opinion, this is not improper insurance, this is NOT INSURANCE.
To use your terminology, this plan might end up giving you NO BANG FOR THE BUCK.
I don’t believe Dan or this health organization claimed to be a health insurer, so I’m not seeing any fishy business here. Would I purchase this health plan for myself and my family? Absolutely not! But there are many products and services on this site which I may or may not patronize. This type of plan may work for certain people, and for them it would be a great benefit. Have a lawyer answer specific questions you may have if one reasonably has questions.
It looks like insurance and uses similar terms. I do appreciate that there is a disclaimer to state that it is not insurance but people might still make the assumption that this is insurance. Some people might not clearly understand the term sponsored post on DansDeals.
If you think the mistake is not easy to make, please look at comments by David, above. he equates this and suggests they do things similar to other insurance companies.
I will try to end my involvement at this point. I am not in any way involved in the insurance business and just worry for people making mistakes.
Are vaccinations covered ? or are they also medically unnecessary and against Torah Values?
It seems like a really good compliment to a high-deductible insurance plan.
Check with your accountant. A plan such as this will likely disqualify you from being allowed to make contributions into a Health savings account
Isn’t there a law that at least 86% has to go to medical care if not they need to refund it anyways? Are the percentages different? Why is that a plus
As a member I just want to clarify some of the points that were raised in these comments.
1) The only Rx that they share in is inpatient prescriptions. For all other, they provide membership in RxValet which is kind of like a wholesale pharmacy that allows you to fill prescriptions through mail order or for pickup at your local pharmacy for a discounted price.
2) The healthy lifestyle is not intended as a way to deny claim. It is true that a medical bill resulting from drug or alcohol overdose will likely not be eligible for sharing, but an extra bowl of cholent is not their intention. For people joining that are not in optimal health, they may be required to mandatory monthly or bimonthly health coaching for a minimal cost. If they don’t participate, their membership can be terminated.
3) There is a $1,000,000 maximum per medical incident.
4) The dental discounts are provided through the Aetna dental access network. Basically, contracted rates at 30-50% discount at over 226,000 dentists throughout the country. Similar program for vision. They don’t share in those costs, but provide significant REAL savings.
5) Not sure where you got the information on preventative care. They are likely the ONLY healthshare that shares in preventative care. This includes the full American Association of Pediatrics child well visit schedule, as well one annual well visit for adults with a maximum of $600 per visit. This is not subject to the Preshare or coshare amounts. They pay from the FIRST DOLLAR as they take those visits very seriously. Other preventative testing such as colonoscopies, mammograms, PSA are also on their preventative list.
6) VACCINATIONS ARE SHARED. However, members of a healthshare are entitled to free VFC vaccines through your pediatrician or local health clinic regardless.
7) The 86% is not a law. The healthshare has to disclose what percentage of your contributions are used exclusively for sharing and what percentage is for administrative overhead. If the sharing power becomes too strong, they have to reduce monthly contributions or add benefits. They do not refund the excess.
Keep in mind that they are a non profit organization. Sure, they pay their employees reasonable salaries, but there is no one at the top making money off of your health. Also keep in mind that hospitals have very aggressive programs in place for self-pay patients. For example, Monmouth medical center writes on their site that their maximum charge for self pay patients is 115% of Medicaid. United Refuah pays hospitals a maximum of 160% of Medicaire which is much more than that.
Of course this is not insurance, and not a fit for everyone especially with preexisting conditions. But there are so many people that are benefiting from affordable healthcare and are finally able to make ends meet.
Well said, plus I would add that insurance is a legal term, this is insurance with another name.
If they called it insurance it would have all the regulations that health insurances have which would change everything.
So I went self-employed a couple months ago and looked into this (and the other Christian versions) pretty deep, vs staying on Cobra, or Obamacare.
In all, I think all these healthshares are good, honest co-ops trying to make a alternative to the looney healthcare we have. That said there are horror stories and “mental risk” if you confirm to their “stated values”….it’s litaerally outing you faith in god and goodwill of man.
You “donate” money each month. In return they “help you in a time of need”. No promises, other than a trust-me.
So this really comes down to you trust in man……and a Paperwork bureaucracy not snagging you by mistake.
I almost did this, but ended up with staying on Cobra for 3x more $. Reason was floating medical bills as “self pay” and haggling down crazy “rack rates” I didn’t have the lifestyle for…..yes this will happen, and you need to budget time for this.
But from my research, this seems to work out in the long run. And you get to help others!