My family chose to partner with Samaritan Ministries for several reasons.
1. We desired something that looked very different than insurance. Thinking of co-pays and networks was unappealing.
2. We wanted to be able to share costs of alternative care.
3. As we called and spoke with each ministry, Samaritan?s stood out to us as having a heart for wanting people to share costs. They really encourage members to submit needs. They were also incredibly prayerful for us and with us even as we were just researching.
4. We loved Samaritan?s Special Prayer Needs publication. If a need does not qualify to be shared for members to send their monthly contributions to, the need can be published as a special prayer need. This gives members a way to know what other needs are out there, lets them pray about it, and the Father can then lead people and direct funds as He sees fit.
Because of the Special Prayer Need ministry at Samaritan?s, we felt incredibly comfortable joining a ministry that would not automatically publish any of my pre-existing needs. As you all know, I have a small brain tumor that requires annual monitoring. It also impedes my vision (a symptom). Until that monitoring and symptom is gone for 5 years, it will continue to be considered a pre-existing condition. MRIs are expensive ($5k plus). So our plan is to budget for that and, if needed, we will also submit the cost as a special prayer need for God to lead people to help us or not.
It?s also important to note that Samaritan?s does not make any medical decisions at all. They rely completely on member physicians. They do not call my lack of vision a symptom of my brain tumor I asked my overseeing physician if that is a symptom of the tumor. He said yes, so that?s what I report to Samaritans.