番茄社区

A Kansas hospital will no longer accept health-sharing plans as a means of payment, .

Officials for McPherson Hospital said the move is due to "the fluid nature of these types of programs that create challenges in processing and documentation tracking," according to the McPherson Sentinel.

Health-sharing plans are not the same as health insurance, and are not governed by the same rules. They're also referred to as health-sharing ministries, and are typically nonprofits through which members -- often with the same religious beliefs -- and .

For certain patients, the hospital's decision to stop supporting health-sharing plans may affect how they're billed.

"As a result, patients participating in any of the health share plans available on the market will now be considered non-insured and therefore expected to pay at the time services are provided," Cyril Russell, director of communications for McPherson Hospital, told the McPherson Sentinel.

The newspaper noted that since some health-sharing ministries are rooted in Christian beliefs, costs related to certain services and procedures -- such as drug abuse, abortion, and maternity out of wedlock -- typically may not be covered.

Patients are encouraged to file their own documentation with their health-share plan for reimbursement, the McPherson Sentinel reported, citing Russell. Cash discounts are also available for many services offered by the hospital, the report stated.

Russell did not immediately respond to a request for comment from 番茄社区.

It has been reported that health-sharing plans have attracted scrutiny recently, as a result of aggressive marketing campaigns and a lack of oversight. on the issue last year, writing that some plan members have wound up with medical bills that are not covered and no option for legal remedy.

Regulators have started turning their attention to these programs. According to the Times report, Washington state fined one of the largest health-sharing ministries, Trinity Healthshare, and banned it from offering its insurance to state residents. Nevada insurance regulators previously warned consumers to stay away from the plans.

The Texas attorney general brought a lawsuit against Aliera Healthcare, which marketed Trinity's products. Aliera was also hit with a for selling "illegal" health insurance and misrepresenting its role in a healthcare-sharing ministry. The company is facing lawsuits in other states as well.

The plans gained popularity as prices in the the Affordable Care Act marketplace rose; their lower premiums made them appealing. But families were frequently left with bills they couldn't pay when the ministries denied their claims.

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