Dougie's plug for S(c)amaritan "Ministries" insurance

[doggie]

You're absolutely right: mental illness is not covered :doh:

Thats because there is no such thing as mental illness it is all a lack of faith.

[slickcat79]

It doesn't actually fulfill the requirements of ACA healthcare. What happens is that people signed up for it and other healthcare sharing ministries are exempt from having to sign up from an insurance policy.

Here's a good article that explains it: http://www.npr.org/2013/09/28/227238887 ... al-mandate

Thanks for the article, that's actually good to know. It makes more sense that SM participants are (basically) exempt from the individual mandate than thinking that SM actually meets the insurance requirements. I wonder how people prove that they belong to a medical cost-sharing service? Do they issue membership cards or something?

[formergothardite]

I wish the guy who worked for them would show back up. He never would answer why they are named after the good Samaritan when the point of that story is to help those who are different than yourself and the point of their ministry is to only help people who are just like them.

[JMarie]

If you're fundie and young, the Koch brothers don't think you need ANY insurance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... 7cRsfW0Jv8

http://generationopportunity.org/2013/0 ... z2hGA5dg5n

[TrueRebel1]

I recall my family looking into Samaritan about 15 years ago. You had to confirm that you didn't smoke or drink alcohol. You also had to have a signed note from your pastor confirming that you attended church. But for the few situations and not-clearly-defined medical care that they covered, and with the high monthly "donations", it was a ridiculous idea for our low-income family.

[smittykins]

Thats because there is no such thing as mental illness it is all a lack of faith.

Or demonic possession.

(Doug Phillips is a )

[nelliebelle1197]

If they have 24,000 members paying on average $300/month, then that is over $85 million annually!

[lilith]

The problem is that the members get to direct where their monthly contributions go. So Doug Philips the Tool will get his haemorrhoid removal covered cause he's a well known patriarch, and Melanie Maxwell's high risk pregnancies are covered cause she's a good helpmeet of a well known fundie man, but people may choose not to direct their payments to the cancer treatment of a fundie family with no media/online presence, or choose not to direct their contributions to pay hospital bills for a heart attack of a member who is overweight and this considered by many to have brought on his own misfortunes through the sin of gluttony.

Like many things in fundie land, it works well for those at the top, not so well for the rest of the sheep.

[salex]

The problem is that the members get to direct where their monthly contributions go. So Doug Philips the Tool will get his haemorrhoid removal covered cause he's a well known patriarch, and Melanie Maxwell's high risk pregnancies are covered cause she's a good helpmeet of a well known fundie man, but people may choose not to direct their payments to the cancer treatment of a fundie family with no media/online presence, or choose not to direct their contributions to pay hospital bills for a heart attack of a member who is overweight and this considered by many to have brought on his own misfortunes through the sin of gluttony.

Like many things in fundie land, it works well for those at the top, not so well for the rest of the sheep.

So, joining this is sort of like a real life "Survivor" where some people get voted off the island--

[nelliebelle1197]

The problem is that the members get to direct where their monthly contributions go. So Doug Philips the Tool will get his haemorrhoid removal covered cause he's a well known patriarch, and Melanie Maxwell's high risk pregnancies are covered cause she's a good helpmeet of a well known fundie man, but people may choose not to direct their payments to the cancer treatment of a fundie family with no media/online presence, or choose not to direct their contributions to pay hospital bills for a heart attack of a member who is overweight and this considered by many to have brought on his own misfortunes through the sin of gluttony.

Like many things in fundie land, it works well for those at the top, not so well for the rest of the sheep.

I don't think Doug Phillips will ever get his hemorrhoid removed.

[Patsy]

I don't think Doug Phillips will ever get his hemorrhoid removed.

He could. Didn't you hear about that chicken? Lived 10 years!

[JMarie]

How will Scamaritan Ministries qualify, when they will have to cover birth control?

https://www.healthcare.gov/what-are-my- ... -benefits/

[artdecades]

Actually, they have a pretty easy-to-read guidelines document, available here: samaritanministries.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20130614Guidelines.pdf

I didn't see anything about requiring the provider to be of a certain faith, but then again I didn't read it too carefully. The agreement contains a binding arbitration clause, so there are limits to avenues for enforcement, but I wouldn't get carried away saying that they just make up new rules as they go along.

Edit: Broke link (just in case)

It seems like they don't accept people with pre-existing conditions either (unless they have been free of said condition for a certain period of time, sometimes years). Aside from not being very christian, I don't see how this meets the criteria of the ACA either

[JesusFightClub]

Neo-Marxist? Fuck right off. Using that term invalidates your argument from the start.

[slickcat79]

Samaritan Ministries doesn't meet the requirements of the ACA. According to the NPR article upthread, people who belong to an org like SM or Medi-share are considered to have met the individual mandate, whether their "insurance" program meets the requirements or not. I guess the gov't is willing to let people use these programs as long as the people are willing to accept that they're not getting all the benefits they're entitled to :shrug:

Just one more reason that all the people screaming about GOVERNMENT TAKEOVER/FREEDOM/MURRIKA!!1!11 are exaggerating at best.