Health insurance fine print sends shivers down everyone’s spines. Maybe it’s the sheer amount of reading required to understand basic coverage, but perhaps the most frustrating part of any new healthcare setup is having to wade through unnecessarily complex jargon just to find out your health insurance company will do anything to get out of helping you and your family.
Around WeShare, we don’t want fine print to be shiver-inducing; we want to be transparent about what exactly you’re getting from your sharing benefits. We’re also moms, dads, grandparents, and consumers trying to get the best quality healthcare for the best price possible. So let’s talk about some of the things that might be considered the “fine print” of a WeShare membership—and how to get the MOST from your Sharing Program.
The Membership Guidelines are your one-stop-shop for everything WeShare related.
First and foremost, you’ll use our handy dandy Membership Guidelines whenever you want to know what’s included in a Sharing Program. These are the same guidelines used by anyone on the WeShare team to clarify areas of confusion, provide Summaries of Share, and answer questions. While the Membership Guidelines detail what’s not included in sharing benefits, you may find some surprises about what you can receive—like stuff that isn’t typically counted in traditional health insurance! For example, your specific Sharing Program will govern how and when pre-existing conditions or major medical events are shared. But unlike most traditional insurance policies, every WeShare Program includes access to mental and emotional health benefits, sharing options for specialist appointments, and low Consult Fees for other wellness services like chiropractic or acupuncture care.
WeShare is not a reimbursement program, and we’re not a health insurance company. This is really great news for you, and here’s why: you don’t have to have thousands of dollars saved or sitting on a credit card just to get quality care. There are some health sharing ministries that require you to pay for a visit or service, submit a bill, and then wait for a check in the mail. We don’t think that makes much sense, so we’ve partnered with the PHCS PPO network to bring low cost, quality healthcare to our Members while handling all the billing departments and paperwork from your doctor’s office. Your Member ID cards give your provider all the info they need to file their bill with WeShare, and then we’ll send you an Explanation of Share once we’ve applied sharing benefits from your Sharing Program and outlined anything you’re still responsible for.
Not being an insurance company means that, as a non-profit ministry facilitating Member-to-Member sharing, we’re not answering to shareholders or profit margins. We’re responsible for caring for every person in our community as Christ would, stewarding the resources entrusted to us with responsibility and integrity. Our Sharing Programs have limits and regulations to make sure everyone gets the care they need from Member sharing, not to line our own pockets. And ultimately, if there’s anything amiss in sharing, we have an appeals process (based on the wisdom in Matthew 18!) to make sure each Member’s concern is addressed with respect and compassion.
The Member Services team and Client Coordinators are available to help you get the most from your membership.
We want every Member to be able to focus on their health and wellness and not on what lifestyle choices are only possible because of healthcare limitations. That’s why our Member Services Reps and Client Coordinators exist—to act as a personal guide through the differences between health sharing and traditional insurance, to educate about sharing benefits you may forget about, and to help find providers or give pre-certifications whenever you need extra care. Think of them like a WeShare concierge! Their expertise is in making the fine print bold, equipping you with the knowledge and know-how to pursue holistic wellness with all of WeShare’s resources.
At WeShare, our goal is to remove fear from the equation by replacing confusion with clarity and complexity with conversation. We believe healthcare works best when it’s built on honesty, shared responsibility, and real human support. So, if you ever find yourself wondering what your membership includes or how to make the most of it, know this: the answers are never hidden, and you’re never navigating them alone.
