Earlier, I wondered about the fate of private “Healthcare Sharing Ministries” such as Samaritan Ministries International under healthcare reform. I have now learned that these organizations are treated differently in different ObamaCare proposals floating around Congress. At the moment, there’s an exception for them in the “conceptual language” of the Baucus plan passed by the Senate Finance Committee. Here’s how the Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries explains it:
The [Baucus] plan would require individuals to obtain health coverage or pay an annual penalty depending on their income level, though some exemptions are available. Businesses with 50 or more employees that do not offer coverage will be required to reimburse the government for tax credits given to employees purchasing their own insurance. At present there is language that recognizes healthcare sharing ministries as coverage under a individual and employer mandate.
That’s a glimmer of hope. However, neither the proposal in the Senate HELP committee nor the three House versions have such exemptions. And there’s no telling whether these sharing ministries will be exempted in any final bill sent to the president. I plan to follow the fate of these exemptions closely.
In some ways, how these organizations fare may be a litmus test indicating just how intrusive ObamaCare will be.