PROGRAM GUIDELINES

I. MEDI-SHARE STANDARDS AND PURPOSE

A. Bringing Believers Together

Medi-Share brings believers together to share the blessings God has bestowed on them according to the example of Scripture and the early Christian Church. Christian Care Ministry matches a Medi-Share member's medical need with members who have volunteered, in faith, to share in meeting needs through the biblical concept of Christian mutual sharing. These Guidelines specify the medical expenses that will be presented for sharing to Medi-Share members and explain how sharing is accomplished on behalf of a member in need. All such "sharing" of bills by Medi-Share members is on a voluntary basis only. All money comes from the voluntary giving of members, not from Christian Care Ministry itself.

B. No Ministry Liability

Neither Christian Care Ministry nor Medi-Share members shall be held liable for any part of a person's medical bills. Medi-Share is not insurance, nor is it guaranteed in any fashion. Medi-Share is not, and should never be construed as a contract for insurance or a substitute for a contract guaranteeing medical or hospitalization insurance. Medi-Share does not guarantee that eligible needs will be shared. There is no transfer of risk. Non-guaranteed sharing of needs up to $1,000,000 per year per individual is provided only through member gifts.

C. Basis for Sharing

These Guidelines are based on the wishes of the membership. Changes may be effected by the Administrative Board of Directors and/or by vote of the membership. Actions by the Administrative Board of Directors may be taken at any time to protect or strengthen the ministry or membership. Board action, with notice to the members, may override these Guidelines until such a time as the membership expresses its wishes by a 67 percent majority vote of voting members. The Guidelines are definitive and will overrule any verbal statement made by anyone regarding the Medi-Share programs.

D. Current Guidelines Govern

The current Guidelines govern, not the Guidelines in effect when a member joined. With notice to the members, these Guidelines may change at any time. The current Guidelines appear on the Medi-Share website, www.medi-share.org.

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II. DEFINITIONS

member - any family member, including the adult family member under whose name the family membership is registered with Medi-Share, who is an active participant in Medi-Share

incident -the occurrence of an illness or an injury that requires a diagnosis of symptoms and treatment of a specific condition for an individual member

eligible bill - a medical bill that has been determined to be eligible for sharing by Medi-Share members, reduced by any applicable discount, penalty, or insurance or other source of payment

need - all medical bills related to a medical incident

monthly share - the dollar amount that the Medi-Share member agrees to send faithfully each month to take care of his or her family's share of the eligible medical expenses of members who suffer injury or illness

member advocate - Medi-Share Representative assigned to answer any questions members may have regarding their medical need.

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III. QUALIFICATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP

A. Christian Testimony

All adult members must have a verifiable Christian testimony indicating a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and profess the following Statement of Faith:

Statement of Faith:

I believe that there is one God eternally existing in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
I believe that the Bible is God's written revelation to man and that it is verbally inspired, authoritative, and without error in the original manuscripts.
I believe in the deity of Jesus Christ—His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, death on the cross to provide for our redemption, bodily resurrection and ascension into heaven, present ministry of intercession for us, and His return to earth in power and glory.
I believe in the personality and deity of the Holy Spirit, that He performs the miracle of new birth in an unbeliever and indwells believers, enabling them to live a godly life.
I believe that man was created in the image of God, but because of sin was alienated from God. That alienation can be removed only by accepting through faith alone God's gift of salvation which was made possible by Christ's death.

A church leader  may be interviewed to verify the applicant's testimony. All members must live by biblical standards, agree that believers are to bear one another's burdens, attend a fellowship of believers regularly, and actively support that ministry (Galatians 6:2, Romans 10:9-13; Psalm 133; Hebrews 10:24-25). Members must believe the biblical doctrine that their bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and are therefore to be kept pure. Violations of this doctrine include, but are not limited to, the use of tobacco in any form and the abuse of drugs, including legal drugs, such as alcohol. Applicants must have abstained for at least the 12 months prior to application from the use of tobacco in any form. In accordance with Scripture, members must not engage in sex outside of traditional Christian marriage. Children, who are Medi-Share family members, and the member parent must certify to Medi-Share within 30 days after the child reaches the age of 18 that the child understands and lives by the lifestyle requirements for membership. If certification is not received by the due date, the child's membership will be terminated and only medical bills that were incurred prior to the child's 18th birthday will be considered for sharing.

B. Spouse and Children

An applicant's eligible spouse and biological children for whom they are legally responsible can be included in the family membership. Application can be made for legally adopted children and for children whose adoption is pending, provided that legal guardianship has been awarded to the member. Applicants and members who wish to have non-biological children considered for inclusion in the family membership must provide a comprehensive history and physical examination performed by a U.S. licensed medical doctor along with appropriate indicated laboratory studies. These examinations must have been performed within two years of application. Children who were adopted more than three years prior to application for Medi-Share and have resided continuously in the U.S. with the adoptive parents are exempt from this requirement.

C. Adult Children of Members

Unmarried adult children of members who continuously live at the home of their parent(s) may be on the family membership until they reach age 23. The only exception to living at home is when the child is formally participating in a Medi-Share approved activity. These activities include:

• Higher education as a full-time student (May live away from home for holiday recesses and a single period of up to 150 days between school terms per calendar year)

• Christian missions work

• Christian education programs

• Certified technical school
  

When an adult child no longer qualifies to be a part of the family membership, it is the responsibility of the member to promptly notify Member Services at 800-264-2562. Continuing to submit the monthly share at the level that included the adult child does not extend their participation in the family membership. An adult child may return to the family membership provided he/she is qualified according to the Guidelines; a small processing fee will be applied.

D. Children of Members Who Apply for an Individual Membership

Once a child reaches 18 years of age, he or she may apply for an individual membership at any time. The young adult must submit to the standard application process. If the adult child is still an active participant in a family membership at the time the application is received at the Melbourne office, the application fee will be waived.  If the adult child qualifies for membership, the new member restrictions stated in Section VII. D. Sharing During the First Month of Membership,  will be waived and any medical conditions that were eligible for sharing under the family membership will continue to be eligible under the individual membership.

E. 65 Years of Age and Older

Medi-Share members must be enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B effective the first day of the month in which they turn 65 years of age. In order to continue as a Medi-Share member, a copy of the "Medicare Health Insurance Card" listing Part A and Part B coverage must be submitted to Christian Care by the last day of the the 65th birthday month. To assure that Medicare coverage is not delayed, members must apply for Medicare by contacting Social Security at (800) 325-1213 at least three months prior to the first day of the month in which they will turn 65. Medi-Share members do not share in the cost of prescription drugs that are not covered by Medicare Part A and Part B. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services should be contacted at (800)267-2323 for assistance in evaluating the voluntary drug coverage plans available under Medicare Part D.

Sharing of needs for members 65 and older is limited (see Section VII. J. Sharing for Members 65 and Older). All members are strongly advised to enroll in a Medicare Medigap policy or Advantage Plan no later than 6 months after their Medicare Part B effective date and to withdraw from Medi-Share at that time. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will answer questions concerning Medigap policies and Advantage Plans.

F. Application Review

Christian Care Ministry relies on the medical and lifestyle information provided during the application process to determine whether or not an applicant qualifies for Medi-Share membership. Applicants who have a history of serious medical condition(s), who are significantly overweight, or who are at significant risk for major disease may not qualify for Medi-Share membership. In some cases, it may be necessary for the applicant to have providers submit medical records. Applicants 60 years of age and over are required to submit recent, verifiable data for height, weight, waist measurement, blood pressure, blood glucose and lipid profile.

Medi-Share is not insurance. No "riders" are issued. No attempt is made to identify unresolved medical conditions except those that could disqualify an applicant for membership. However, if it is clear to the application reviewer that diagnosis and treatment of a condition may not be eligible for sharing, the applicant is so notified when he or she is invited to join Medi-Share. Such notification is a courtesy; it is not a "rider". It must never be assumed that a condition is eligible for sharing because the applicant was not notified that the condition might be ineligible.

Failure to disclose medical or lifestyle information that might disqualify the applicant may result in future termination of membership and needs not being shared. If a member or applicant recalls or becomes aware of any medical history that was not reported during the application process, that information should be immediately submitted in writing to Christian Care Ministry.

G. U.S. Citizens Who Have Lived Abroad

United States citizen applicants who have lived abroad for more than 12 consecutive months during the past three years may be required to have a physical examination and other medical tests.

H. Non-U.S. Citizens

Only permanent residents with a green card or visa and a Social Security number who live full-time in the United States can qualify for Medi-Share membership. A physical examination and other medical tests may be necessary to determine whether or not the applicant qualifies for membership. On the day that such a member ceases to be a legal resident, he or she no longer qualifies for Medi-Share membership. Medical bills incurred on or that date are not eligible for sharing, even if the member continues to share the medical bills of Medi-Share members.

I. Health Partnerships
Christian Care Ministry is dedicated to promoting the health of its members through educational initiatives. The Ministry is also committed to creating initiatives that allow the greatest number of applicants to qualify for Christian sharing of medical needs. Historically, applicants have been disqualified for Medi-Share membership because of a number of health factors that placed them at high risk for major disease. Now, applicants whose risk of major disease falls within a specified range and whose condition is likely to be reversed through a healthful lifestyle may qualify for a Health Partnership.

A Health Partner enjoys the same medical bill sharing privileges as other members, but participates in Restore, a six to twelve month program  designed to reduce the risk for major disease. The program has proven to be highly effective in promoting optimal health and has enabled many participants to qualify for a regular Medi-Share membership. In Restore, each Health Partner works with a Health Consultant to develop and implement a personal plan for achieving required health-related goals.  Failure to adhere to the plan or failure to achieve the designated goals within a six to twelve month period will result in termination of membership.  To cover the cost of the Restore program, Health Partners pay a monthly fee in addition to contributing their monthly share. 

J. English Language Required

It is essential that the Applicant understand the Medi-Share Guidelines and is able to effectively communicate, as the member, with Christian Care Ministry. Therefore, it is necessary that every Medi-Share membership be registered under the name of an adult member who is able to speak English fluently and read it well enough to thoroughly understand these Guidelines.

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IV. MEDI-SHARE PROGRAM

A. Initial Member Responsibility (IMR) Levels 

The Medi-Share program includes three levels of initial member responsibility (IMR) for members to choose from:  $250, $1,000, or $10,000. 

When members have an illness or injury (incident) and the medical bills are eligible for sharing, the member is initially responsible for paying the initial member responsibility of $250, $1,000, or $10,000.  After the initial member responsibility, 100% of the remaining eligible medical bills are presented to the Medi-Share members for sharing, subject to the limitations described in Section IV. C. Maximum Sharing Limits.  If treatment continues beyond 12 months after the first date of treatment related to the eligible incident, the member will again be initially responsible for the first $250, $1,000 or $10,000, based on which program option they participate in.  Motorized vehicle accidents and maternity may result in additional initial member responsibility.  See Sections IX. Maternity and XIII.  Motorized Vehicle Accidents.

B. Maximum Sharing Limits

The Medi-Share Members agreed to limit sharing to a maximum of $1,000,000 of eligible medical bills per individual per calendar year with a lifetime maximum of $5,000,000. No increase in the sharing limits results when an individual participates in multiple Medi-Share programs or under multiple memberships.

C. Switching Program IMR Level

Members must apply in writing to switch program IMR levels. All Medi-Share family members must switch together to the new IMR. There is an administrative fee of $75 to change IMR levels, and certain limitations apply as shown in the chart below:

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V. WHAT IS EXPECTED OF MEMBERS?

A. Sharing Faithfully Each Month

Every member receives notice of the monthly share amount that is due at the Medi-Share Processing Center on