Reference

Glossary

Health sharing borrows the shape of insurance without its obligations, so the vocabulary matters. Where a term has an insurance look-alike, we name it.

Health sharing

A membership in which participants agree to share eligible medical expenses according to published guidelines. No participant is legally required to pay your bill.

Not the same as: health insurance, which is a regulated contract with a legal duty to pay covered claims

Monthly share

The amount a member contributes each month to the sharing community. Also called a membership contribution.

Not the same as: a premium — a premium buys a policy, a share funds a voluntary community

Member responsibility

The portion of an eligible medical need the member pays before the community shares anything.

Not the same as: a deductible, which is annual and defined by an insurance contract

Initial unshareable amount (IUA)

The specific dollar amount of member responsibility that applies per medical need. Because it resets per need rather than per year, two incidents in one year can each carry their own IUA.

Not the same as: a deductible or an out-of-pocket maximum

Eligible for sharing

A medical need that meets the program guidelines and is therefore submitted for sharing. Eligibility is a guideline determination, not a guarantee of payment.

Not the same as: covered, which implies a contractual obligation

Medical need

The medical event or bill presented to the community for sharing.

Not the same as: a claim, which is filed against an insurance policy

Program guidelines

The document that defines what is shareable, what is not, and under what conditions. Programs can revise guidelines.

Not the same as: a policy or certificate of coverage

Sharing organization

The entity that administers the sharing membership and the community funds. Several consumer brands can sit on top of the same sharing organization.

Not the same as: an insurer or a carrier

Unshareable

Expenses the guidelines exclude outright. Every program has a list, and it is the first thing worth reading.

Not the same as: an exclusion in a policy, which is enforceable in the other direction

Featured recommendation

A paid commercial placement on this site, always labeled where it appears. Separate from any score.

Not the same as: the highest editorial score

Editorial score

A 0–100 result produced by the published methodology version. Commercial relationships do not enter the calculation.

Minimum Essential Coverage (MEC)

A limited insurance product some programs pair with a sharing membership, typically to address preventive services. Where present, confirm whether it is included or an add-on.

Not the same as: comprehensive major medical coverage

For the full not-insurance disclosure, see health sharing is not insurance.