By JoAnn Volk, Justin Giovannelli, and Christina L. Goe

This yr, a number of states have superior laws geared toward “well being care sharing ministries” (HCSMs), an association by which members comply with a standard set of spiritual or moral beliefs and make month-to-month funds to assist pay the qualifying medical bills of different members. HCSMs usually declare to supply well being protection similar to insurance coverage, however lack the buyer protections and profit requirements that apply to complete well being plans and are underneath no obligation to pay members’ claims. Due to how HCSMs are marketed, shoppers could have issue figuring out the numerous limitations of those preparations and danger getting caught with unpaid payments. Till not too long ago, states didn’t have entry to information on HCSMs’ enrollment, operations, and funds, however a few states have begun to fill these gaps; final yr, Colorado grew to become the primary state to require complete information from all HCSMs enrolling Colorado residents.

Colorado not too long ago printed its first studies on HCSMs promoting memberships in Colorado. In a submit for the Commonwealth Fund’s To the Level weblog, CHIR’s JoAnn Volk and Justin Giovannelli, together with lawyer and well being coverage guide Christina L. Goe, check out information from Colorado’s first HCSM report. The authors discover that HCSMs working in Colorado had better than anticipated nationwide enrollment, and these preparations proceed to go away members with unpaid claims. You’ll be able to learn extra about insights from the state report within the full weblog submit right here.