At some point, push comes to shove.
We have been navigating the health insurance market since 1995.
We have found ourselves searching for options since 2014.
Tripled for some people.
It's unsustainable and the law basically forced all the health plans into the same expensive box (if you don't get a tax credit).
We finally feel like we have an option to show people which we can get behind.
Trinity HealthShare health plans.
We'll go through the entire explanation of what Trinity HealthShare plans are but you can jump to any section here:
You can quote and enroll:
Learn about their popular catastrophic health sharing plan called CarePlus Advantage here.
Lots to cover. Lots to save!
Let's get started!
Quick synopsis.
In the ACA law (Obamacare), there was a small piece that gave certain non-profit companies, Health Care Sharing Ministries, the ability to offer plans to people that are not ACA compliant.
Trinity HealthShare, Inc is an administrator for one of them.
Before with AlieraCare, Trinity HealthShare handled the big ticket items (hospital, etc) while AlieraCare handled the first dollar benefits (preventative, office consult, etc).
Now, it's all under one umbrella which makes it much cleaner.
Trinity HealthShare has been in business since 2011.
The net net to you...Health care sharing ministry plans like Trinity HealthShare plans allow you to essentially buy plans similar to the old benefits!
The plans before the ACA law.
In California, actually back to 1999 in some respects.
You can see the difference between Covered Ca and health care sharing ministry here.
When we say the "old plans" the new health care sharing ministry plans work similarly to them but are not insurance.
There are some very important differences to understand.
We'll cover the pros and cons of these health care sharing ministry plans versus insurance later.
We have articles diving deep into Health care sharing ministry plans but here are the reasons it's important to you:
Those are the real big bullet points (we'll cover more detail below) but the real reason Trinity HealthShare is taking over the market...
You can quickly jump to the Trinity HealthShare plans quote here:
Health care sharing ministry plans aren't for everyone.
Make sure to check out the section below on who health care sharing ministry plans works best for.
So...that's health care sharing ministry plans with broad strokes.
What about Trinity HealthShare plans specifically?
Trinity HealthShare is one of the six companies that were accredited as Health Sharing entities under the ACA law.
This is one of the largest PPO nationwide networks with almost 1M providers included.
This is a big deal.
Your health plan is only as good as the doctors it allows you to see.
We're seeing lots of issues with that on the ACA health plans as they continue to narrow their networks.
The PHCS (provider search here) is a great asset for Trinity HealthShare plans.
You can access the Trinity HealthShare plans, rates, and provider search
via the quote tool here:
We really want people to understand their options.
In doing so, we have to explain the downsides as well as the upsides of the Trinity HealthShare plans (or health care sharing ministry plans in general) plans.
We like Trinity HealthShare plans for SOME clients (see below for who Trinity HealthShare plans works for) but they have to understand the differences.
I understand that Trinity HealthShare, Inc (which administers for a health sharing ministry) is NOT insurance nor does it provide insurance coverage. It is not intended to be a replacement of comprehensive health coverage found through the Federal or State exchange.
Trinity HealthShare, is a health care sharing ministry. Eligible needs are shared by the members according to the membership guidelines. This membership is not a legal binding agreement and does not guarantee or promise that your eligible needs will be shared by the membership. It makes no assumption of risks. If sharing is not possible, you will remain financially liable for unpaid medical bills.
The financial assistance members receive come from other member's monthly contributions that are placed in an escrow account, not from Trinity HealthShare.
Trinity HealthShare does NOT fall under the oversight of the Department of Insurance (DOI).
There is no DOI protection or backstop in case the company goes bankrupt, expenses are not paid, or payment is denied.
Individuals who choose to enroll in a health care sharing ministry plan receive a waiver from the individual tax penalty..
I understand that:
Trinity HealthShare does not cover Mental Health benefits except on specific plans.
Trinity HealthShare is not required to cover the Essential Health Benefits under the ACA law.
By law, Trinity HealthShare does undergo an audit annually by an independent accounting firm to ensure financial stability. 20% of monthly membership dues are is held in reserves for paying eligible expenses.
Link to Brochure here.
Member's guide available upon request at help@calhealth.net
There are many pros to Trinity HealthShare plans..primarily the cost.
For some people without a tax credit or who can't enroll during the year, it may be the only option they can afford.
Keep in mind that we are ultimately covering till we get to the next Open Enrollment or a Special Enrollment trigger.
12 months max.
All we can say is this...if you're comparing health care sharing ministries, we strongly recommend going with the safest among them.
In our calculation, it's Trinity HealthShare
We have had ZERO major issues and we're one of the bigger enrollers.
For many people seeking healthcare offerings, Trinity Healthshare may be new.
This is less and less so with each rate increase on the Obamacare market.
Trinity Healthshare has been in existence for over 60 years.
They handle the bigger ticket items such as hospital, surgery, ER, etc.
The benefits of Trinity HealthShare:
Trinity HealthShare has a relaxed eligibility requirement compared to other options. There are no secular or non-religious health care sharing plans by design, but Trinity HealthShare is definitely the most pragmatic.
We have a comprehensive guide to comparing the main health care sharing ministries.
Look. We're very conservative in terms of options to address health care needs.
We've seen lots of options come and go on the health market that agents loved because they were great for agents.
We ran from those because there were serious issues for the members if they had really large bills.
What's the point of a plan if it doesn't protect from the big bill.
There's a lot of trust there and Trinity HealthShare meets our lofty requirements for certain clients.
Make sure to read the "Who are Trinity HealthShare plans good for" section as it's not for everyone.
Trinity HealthShare goes the farthest in protecting people from the big bills that are all too common in today's health care world.
As licensed health agents and appointed Trinity HealthShare plan agents, we're happy to walk through your situation to see if it's a good fit.
There's zero cost for our assistance.
With Trinity HealthShare plans or ACA health plans.
Trinity HealthShare plans are another option that's going to fit very well for a segment of the population.
As part of their exemption from the ACA requirements (especially the penalty!), health care sharing ministries have to use different terminology from traditional insurance.
Congress loves it rules!
Here are the big ones and their corresponding term in health insurance:
One note...with Trinity HealthShare plans, the MSRA is also the same as the traditional insurance max out of pocket.
It's all one number which is a clean way to do it.
There isn't a percentage share between the two.
One less thing we would have to rename!
You'll see on the brochure the statement "This is NOT Insurance"
This is true.
See above for what Trinity HealthShare plans are not.
Very helpful and important to understand the difference before making any decision.
So what are they if not insurance?
A pool of people that all share eligible medical expenses together.
Just an FYI but that's similar to how insurance works albeit with government DOI oversight.
Make sure to see the Trinity HealthShare plan acknowledgement above to understand how this differs to you.
We'll cover the few items that are important to understand in the "Who are Trinity HealthShare Plan for" section but we feel really good about Trinity HealthShare's plan options (especially the Premium plan) for protection.
This is one of the items that really sets Trinity HealthShare plans apart from the other health sharing companies.
They have access to the PCHS PPO network of providers nationwide!
This is huge!
Run your Trinity HealthShare plan provider search here.
This has been the biggest issue since 2014.
By far.
The networks seem to be only shrinking with every year.
More of the ACA plans are moving to EPO's and HMO's as well.
Having a PPO available through Trinity HealthShare is a huge deal.
Also, since it's a PPO network, we get the negotiated PPO rates in-network for eligible expenses.
That's generally a savings of 30-60% on average even before we meet our Member Share of Responsibility Amount (MSRA - similar to Deductible).
We've seen discounts even higher for labs and hospital care.
It's a big deal and we get it with the large PCHS PPO network nationwide.
It's a two parter.
Even on the high deductible Bronze plan.
At renewal, people are throwing in the towel.
It's either an option like Trinity HealthShare plans or no health plan.
On the flip side, you don't want to get hit with the tax penalty of 2.5% of income (California is re-instating in 2020)
You also don't want to get hit with a major health insurance bill.
For healthy people with no tax credit, Trinity HealthShare plans may be the only option.
You have to able to afford the monthly cost.
A large percentage of our ACA members lapse coverage due to an inability to pay the monthly premium.
Even people with tax credits!
That explains why health care sharing plans are doing so well.
The second part deals specifically with Trinity HealthShare
Trinity HealthShare is by far our favorite of the health care sharing ministries.
We've talked about why Trinity HealthShare plans is the best but it comes down to this.
Most importantly...
They have the most relaxed statement of beliefs and qualifications.
They are open to more people than the others!
That alone makes them the choice for many people!
By default!
You can quote them here to look rates, plans, even the online application.
This is important.
Trinity HealthShare plans are not for everyone.
Let's first say who it probably isn't a good fit for.
Trinity HealthShare plans (and health care sharing ministry plans in general) probably are not be good for:
Basically, most of this comes down to two points.
If you can get cheaper coverage on the ACA marketplace (due to tax credit), that's the way to go.
Most of you do not have that option and therefore, you're investigating Trinity HealthShare plans here.
Remember when we said Trinity HealthShare plans were like the health plans we had before the ACA law?
Even back to 1999?
Trinity HealthShare doesn't decline people based on health but there will be waiting periods for pre-x conditions.
This means that the carrier will not pay out for expenses related pre-existing conditions for a period of time depending on the plan.
Maternity for example might have a 10 month waiting period.
You can see the plan benefits here or the Trinity HealthShare plan brochure here.
Another big point...Trinity HealthShare does not cover mental health benefits except on certain plans.
We need to understand this and it's in our Acknowledgement above.
This is to protect our clients and make sure they understand their options.
We can help you compare Trinity HealthShare plans and the ACA plans (quote here) for your situation.
There's no cost for our assistance as Certified Covered Ca agents and licensed Trinity HealthShare plan specialist.
Call 800-320-6269 or email us.
Trinity HealthShare plans works best for these people who:
That last one is important.
The health care sharing plans do not cover mental healthcare except for specific plans.
This would include psychotropic medications for mental health.
This really gives us a 12 month window worse case after which we can switch to an ACA plan if need be.
We have a full comparison of the Trinity HealthShare health sharing plans including InterimCare, CarePlus, Standard Plan, and Comprehensive plans here.
This is the great news.
Any time of the year!
That's right.
There's no open enrollment with Trinity HealthShare plans.
This is a huge issue with ACA plans where you can only enroll:
Many people call outside of either period and they're stuck.
We've had short term coverage in 3 month blocks but that's not great.
Trinity HealthShare plans are also guaranteed issue.
They don't decline based on health.
Instead, they do it the old way where waiting periods for pre-existing conditions and certain new ones (maternity after 10 months etc) are imposed.
This is still better than Short term which also has pre-x conditions and can decline based on health.
If you can't enroll in ACA plans due to missing open enrollment, quote Trinity HealthShare plans here:
It's easy.
How to quote Trinity HealthShare health plans:
That's it!
It's Free. Online. And Fast.
Even easier.
How to Apply for Trinity HealthShare plans:
That's it!
Everything is online and secure.
Hard copy of the application is also available at the link here:
Please let us know if you have any questions on the application.
We're here to help at 800-320-6269 or by email.
AND
Trinity HealthShare is our go-to option for people who can't enroll in Obamacare plans now.
Keep in mind that we're very conservative with our clients.
We're also Certified Covered California agents.
Our interest is our client's.
We have clients that have been with us since 1995.
We break it down this way.
Health care sharing plans allow us to go back in time.
To plan design similar to what we had before Obamacare.
The rates reflect that. They need to understand the trade-offs (see What Trinity HealthShare plans are NOT)
Secondly, of the health care sharing ministries (there are 6), Trinity Healthshare (which Trinity HealthShare administers for) is the most reasonable, similar to health insurance, and sophisticated.
They also don't decline people or have very strict requirements on eligibility like the other health care sharing ministries.
Furthermore, we don't like the fact that the others exclude more people for other reasons than health.
That doesn't feel very American to us.
That's why we like Trinity HealthShare plans as an option where it makes sense.
Get more detail on Obamacare health coverage versus Health Sharing.
We're happy to help you compare the two.
Our assistance is 100% free to you. The rates available through us is identical for either Trinity HealthShare or Obamacare.
You can get more information on why Trinity HealthShare plans are our favorite health care sharing option.
Call 800-320-6269 or email us.
You can always get the full benefit summary via the quote below or access the brochure here.
We're also here to help with any questions.
But let's give you a quick synopsis.
Make sure to check out the "health care sharing terminology" above so that you understand the different way to say things (versus insurance).
Trinity HealthShare Everyday plans are the most popular of Trinity HealthShare's options that aren't ACA compliant.
Basically, you have a choice of 9 options.
3 different MSRA (similar to deductible):
Combined with 3 different plan types:
The MSRA is pretty straight forward.
This is the amount you're responsible (although you'll get PPO discounted rate in-network which usually knocks things down 30-60%)
The MSRA is your responsibility.
There is no percentage paid after that amount before you meet a cap.
It's all one number for covered events in a calendar year.
The three plan types
This is where the plans change a bit.
The brochure here is a great place to start:
We really like the premium.
It's closest to what people expect in their plans.
The main thing we look for the is the per incident max payout which jumps to $500K on the premium.
This is huge to us and makes us feel a lot better about what we're recommending for our clients.
All three options have a lifetime max of $1M.
Take a look at the benefit benefits via the quote or the brochure.
We're here to help with any other questions!
If you are not eligible for a tax credit and you're in good health, this is the reason most people are moving to Trinity HealthShare
The rates can be affordable compared to full ACA plans.
That's only growing wider as the ACA plans go up each year at double digit rates.
It will speed us as healthy people move to plans like Trinity HealthShare
Here's a real example with 2018 rates:
That number is probably going up quite a bit at open enrollment!
You can run your own quote here for Trinity HealthShare plans and here for Obamacare.
Compare the Bronze rates to Trinity HealthShare's Premium plan with the $7500 deductible.
That's a good benchmark.
Good news...we're it!
The rates are identical through us!
Absolutely 100% the same.
We can help you with the entire process:
How can we help you?
We've covered a lot.
Here's the net take away:
Trinity HealthShare health share plans have to be in the mix.
We do not jump quickly or lightly into new healthcare options.
We're conservative.
Make an informed decision!
That's our goal.
It took us some time to really get behind this option after researching and studying it.
We have clients that call us every day and say"...
We're getting those calls too often these days.
Trinity HealthShare health share plans are our go-to option for those people and more.
We're happy to run a quote for you to see how it compares for your situation.
Trinity HealthShare Health Share Plan Brochure
Trinity HealthShare
Health Share Plan Quote
Trinity
HealthShare Health Share Plan Enroll
Again, there is absolutely no cost to you for our services. Call 800-320-6269 Today!
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20+ years of experience in the California health market has taught us one thing...Competent and experienced guidance is Invaluable
We can quickly (very important) size up your health coverage needs and clearly explain the options available to you. Our focus is finding the most coverage at the best cost to you.
We are licensed Covered Ca agents with in-depth knowledge of their plans, process, and health sharing plans.
We'll quickly see if health sharing plans like Trinity HealthShare might be a good fit for you.
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