Medically reviewed by Jawad Arshad, MD, FACEP. Last reviewed: October 2, 2026.
Disclosure: Non religious health share plans and the membership offered by Summit Health Benefits are membership-based coverage. Membership-based coverage is not insurance, is not regulated as insurance, and does not guarantee payment of medical bills.
Most health sharing ministries ask members to share a common faith. If you want the same pooled-cost model without that, a small group of secular programs exists, and they work differently from insurance in ways that matter. This guide uses each program's own published terms so you can compare them before you join.
Key facts
- Health care sharing ministries are not insurance and cannot guarantee payment, and 30 states exempt them from insurance rules (NAIC, 2022).
- The federal ministry definition requires members to share ethical or religious beliefs and costs shared continuously since the end of 1999, and 107 ministries were federally certified as of 2024 (healthinsurance.org, 2024).
- Knew Health lists memberships from $178 a month and says it is open to anyone regardless of religious affiliation (Knew Health, 2026).
- Sedera lists five initial unshareable amount options from $500 to $5,000 (WhichHealthShare review of Sedera, 2026).
- Summit Health Benefits lists a $2,500 out-of-pocket cap per need on its HealthShare feature, with no annual or lifetime limit on eligible expenses (Summit Health Benefits, 2026).
- North Carolina's insurance department states there is never a guarantee of payment on any eligible need (NCDOI, 2026).
What are non religious health share plans?
Non religious health share plans are membership-based programs where members pay a monthly amount into a community that helps pay eligible medical bills, with no faith statement required to join. They work like a pooled fund, not like a policy.
Members pay a set amount first on each medical need. Programs call this the initial unshareable amount, or IUA. After that, the community shares the eligible rest, according to written guidelines that the program can change.
Faith-based ministries run the same basic model with religious membership terms. Our Christian health share plans comparison covers those, and our health share pros and cons guide covers the trade-offs of the model itself.
Which non religious health share plans are available?
Four programs stand out for people who do not want a faith requirement: Sedera, Knew Health, CrowdHealth and the Health Membership for Individuals and Families from Summit Health Benefits. Each publishes different terms.
| Program | Faith terms | Published cost | Per-need amount | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summit Health Benefits Health Membership | None listed on the plan page | Not shown on the plan page. Ask an advisor for a quote | $2,500 out-of-pocket cap per need (hospitalization and ER protection), not an annual maximum. No annual or lifetime limit on eligible expenses | Summit Health Benefits, 2026 |
| Sedera | Member Principles agreement, no specific denomination | PRIME+ base shares from $88 to $413 a month for individuals | IUA options of $500, $1,000, $1,500, $2,500 or $5,000 | WhichHealthShare review of Sedera, 2026 |
| Knew Health | Open to anyone regardless of religious affiliation | From $178 a month, based on age and location | Members never pay more than three IUAs in a year | Knew Health, 2026 |
| CrowdHealth | No faith statement listed on its site | Price set by a calculator based on household, ages and commitment level | Per-event commitment from $500 to $15,000 | CrowdHealth, 2026 |
The Sedera figures come from a third-party review, so confirm them on Sedera's own rate lookup. Prices change every year, and "from" prices apply to the lowest tier. Our best healthshare plans review compares more programs.
Are non religious health share plans insurance?
No. Non religious health share plans are not insurance, and they are not required to pay. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) says health sharing programs "are not insurance and can't guarantee the payment of claims" (NAIC, 2022).
Each program says so itself. Sedera states it "is not an insurance company nor is it insurance" (Sedera, 2026). Knew Health states its membership "does not satisfy state or federal requirements for healthcare coverage" (Knew Health, 2026). CrowdHealth describes itself as a financial technology company, not a bank (CrowdHealth, 2026).
Three practical effects follow. State insurance departments do not oversee them in the way they oversee insurers. North Carolina's insurance department says it cannot help with a consumer complaint about these organizations (NCDOI, 2026). ACA protections such as covering pre-existing conditions and capping out-of-pocket costs do not apply (NAIC, 2022). And a bill that fits the guidelines can still go unshared.
How much do non religious health share plans cost?
Published monthly costs for non religious health share plans start around $88 to $178 a month for one adult, and the per-need amount you pay on top decides your real cost. Compare both numbers, not just the monthly price.
Here is a worked example. It is hypothetical and uses published starting figures. A 35-year-old pays $178 a month, which is $2,136 a year (Knew Health "from" price, 2026). A $20,000 eligible hospital bill arrives, and the member's IUA is $1,500.
- Yearly monthly shares: $178 x 12 = $2,136.
- IUA on the bill: $1,500.
- Total cost that year, if the community shares the remaining $18,500: $2,136 + $1,500 = $3,636.
- Total cost if the $18,500 is not shared: $2,136 + $1,500 + $18,500 = $22,136.
The gap between steps 3 and 4 is the risk. Insurance is obligated to pay eligible claims. A sharing program is not. With Summit Health Benefits' published $2,500 cap per need, the member's share of that one hospital need would be $2,500 plus the monthly membership price. The cap applies to each need, not to the whole year, so a second need in the same year has its own cap (Summit Health Benefits, 2026).
Do non religious health share plans cover pre-existing conditions?
Usually not right away. Most programs limit sharing for conditions you had before you joined, and the rules differ by program.
Sedera, for example, lists a 12-month period when most existing conditions are not shared, followed by a 36-month phase-in, with day-one exceptions for some controlled conditions (WhichHealthShare review of Sedera, 2026). Knew Health states it accepts members regardless of past medical conditions, but that statement is about who can join, not what the community will share, so read the guidelines (Knew Health, 2026).
The NAIC warns that sharing programs do not have to cover pre-existing conditions (NAIC, 2022). Our waiting periods and pre-existing conditions guide shows what to look for in the written terms.
Is a non faith health share the same as a health sharing ministry?
No. A health sharing ministry is defined around shared ethical or religious beliefs, and the federal ministry exemption requires that members' costs have been shared continuously since the end of 1999 or earlier (healthinsurance.org, 2024). Programs founded later do not qualify for that federal status.
That matters because the 30 state exemptions the NAIC counts apply to ministries (NAIC, 2022). A secular program may be treated differently depending on your state, so ask the program how your state's insurance department classifies it before you pay.
What should I ask a non religious health share before I join?
Ask for the written guidelines, then send these questions. Copy and paste them as written.
Subject: Questions before I join
>
Hi, before I join, please answer in writing: (1) What is my monthly cost for my age and household, and how much did it rise last year? (2) What is the initial unshareable amount per need, and how many can I owe in a year? (3) Is there a per-incident, annual or lifetime limit, and what is it? (4) How is a pre-existing condition defined, and what is the waiting period? (5) How long does it take to share a bill, and what is the deadline to submit one? (6) How does my state's insurance department classify your program? (7) What happens if the community cannot share a bill in full? Thank you.
If you are self-employed and weighing this against a marketplace plan, read our self-employed health insurance guide. If you only need a bridge after losing job coverage, see our COBRA alternatives guide.
Compare Plans for Your State
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best non religious health share plans?
Is there a health share with no faith statement?
Are non religious health share plans insurance?
How much do non religious health share plans cost per month?
Do non religious health share plans cover pre-existing conditions?
Do these plans count as health coverage under the ACA?
Sources: National Association of Insurance Commissioners, What You Should Know About Health Care Sharing Ministries, Discount Plans, and Risk-Sharing Plans (2022); healthinsurance.org, What is a health care sharing ministry (2024); North Carolina Department of Insurance, Alternate Plans (2026); Knew Health, program FAQ and disclosures (2026); Sedera, Medical Cost Sharing FAQ (2026); WhichHealthShare, Sedera review (2026); CrowdHealth, member FAQ (2026); Summit Health Benefits, Individuals and Families plan page (2026).