The Religious Alternative to Obamacare’s Individual Mandate
There are a few exceptions to the Affordable Care Act’s controversial individual mandate which requires Americans to obtain health insurance or pay a fine: Native Americans, the incarcerated, and, as NPR reports, members of “health care sharing ministries.” The outlet describes these ministries as “a way for individuals with a ‘common set of ethical or religious beliefs’ to share medical bills.” NPR staff write, “The sharing ministries are not insurance: there’s no guarantee that a given bill will be covered. Instead, it’s like a co-op, where members decide what procedures to cover, and then all pitch in to cover the cost as group.”