Washington State passed a law (WA 284-43-8210) on August 3, 2022, stating that health care sharing ministries, also known as health shares, are not considered “health carriers” or “insurers.”
The Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) has stopped the sale of health share memberships by organizations that don’t meet their criteria. Our creation date is after 1999, so we do not qualify as an HCSM according to its definition. The OIC is also taking steps to regulate HCSMs that fail to meet the requirements by grouping them with insurance companies.
Zion HealthShare is not insurance; rather, it is a nonprofit that provides an organized structure for members to contribute toward each other’s medical costs. Due to this, we remain determined and tireless in our effort to offer Zion HealthShare to residents of Washington State once again. We are thankful to the Zion HealthShare community and prospective community members for their continuous support and patience.