Shaun has been self-employed for almost the entirety of our marriage, and during that time, we have, thankfully, incurred only minor health-related bills…except for pregnancies, of course.
I can’t think of a better reason than a baby (or 10!) to rack up the big bucks in doctor’s (or mostly midwives’ in our case) bills, but it doesn’t mean those bills don’t still sting.
Which is why we signed up with Christian Healthcare Ministries when we found them about 4 years ago. We loved their what they’re about, and we also loved the flexibility of pricing for their membership tiers. I’m on Gold (their highest level) because of the maternity program, but Shaun and the kids are on their Bronze level.
CHM is a cost sharing ministry, and I love knowing both where my money is going (to help other members) and where it’s coming from.
When CHM contacted me about collaborating to write about my experiences with them, I was thrilled to share because our interactions have been excellent. Both our births with them have been quite different from each other, and yet CHM has been consistently attentive, helpful, and considerate.
In the case of Shiloh, we had planned a home birth, but my stubborn body refused to go into labor at home, so we ended up having him at the birth center. We were there to get a bio-physical sonogram to make sure everything was still looking good at 42 weeks and 3 days (it was, thank the Lord!), but we stayed because my contractions finally kicked in right after the sonogram, and we decided to have a baby there. Even though we had planned on the home birth, CHM covered the cost of the birth center, the bio-physical sonogram, and the rest of the pregnancy-related expenses.
With the twinbies, we had to do a hospital birth, since my midwife was no longer accepting home or birth center births for multiples. So, we split the prenatal care between the midwife and an OB/GYN. And both my OB/GYN and my midwife were present at the birth, which took place in an operating room because that’s what the hospital required for twin deliveries.
Yet again, CHM rolled with the punches and was so great about working with us to make sure both kinds of bills (midwife + OB/GYN) got shared. Since Christian Healthcare Ministries is a cost sharing ministry, members are responsible for negotiating the best possible discount, and then CHM shares their need so that they can reimburse for the cost when possible. This may not be something that every household finds feasible, but, especially if you’re looking for a great maternity program, I recommend that you check out CHM to see if it’s a good fit for your family!
If you find that it is, you can use our family’s membership number: 213397. Each referral earns a free month of membership for our family, and we are appreciative!
We have used another Christian Cost Sharing program, Medishare. They are amazing. I have had three babies with them. They are so helpful and encouraging. I love being prayed for when I call for a question rather than interrogated!