Samaritan Ministries

What Samaritan Ministries does

Samaritan Ministries International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit health care sharing ministry headquartered in Peoria, Illinois, founded in 1994 by Ted Pittenger on the Galatians 6:2 model of "bearing one another's burdens." The organization operates a direct member-to-member sharing platform serving 250,000+ Christian households across the United States (excluding New Mexico), where members send monthly shares to other members with medical needs along with prayers and notes of encouragement. Core products include the traditional Samaritan Classic (from $210/month) and Samaritan Basic (from $125/month) programs, the next-generation REDEEM HealthShare platform with Essential ($91), Enhanced ($113), and SeniorSaver ($116) tiers, the Save to Share catastrophic needs add-on, the FlexShare dental/vision/mental health add-on, and Samaritan Groups for employer, church, and nonprofit channels.

The technology stack combines a member-facing web portal and dashboard for need submission and share management with third-party integrations: Valenz Health and Valenz Bluebook Concierge for provider pricing transparency and bill negotiation, and Amb-OS for radio distribution of the Family Health Checkup program across 1,100+ outlets. The ministry holds Healthcare Sharing Accreditation Board accreditation (2023), a CMS letter of certification as a qualifying Health Care Sharing Ministry under 26 USC §5000A(d)(2)(B)(ii), and 501(c)(3) status (Tax ID 37-1295601). FY2025 (July 2024 to June 2025) operational throughput reached $499.6M in total financial expenses, with 88.4% of expenses flowing directly to member needs (above the 80% guideline) and administrative expenses held to 4.2%.

Go-to-market is community-led and direct-to-consumer, with nearly 50% of new members acquired through word-of-mouth referrals (the Tell A Friend program offers $100 credit per referral), supported by radio, content marketing, social media, and church sponsorships. Revenue mechanics consist of recurring monthly member shares (subscription), one-time application and program-switch fees ($200/$100), and a $15 Save to Share annual administrative fee. FY2025 outcomes included 57,872 published needs, 823,584 shares sent, 478,467 encouragement notes, $420M+ saved through member-driven discounts, and $32.6M saved through Provider Relations bill negotiation.

Name

Samaritan Ministries

Legal name

Samaritan Ministries International

Website

https://samaritanministries.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Samaritan Ministries International is a 501(c)(3) health care sharing ministry operating a direct member-to-member platform serving 250,000+ Christian households in the United States, offering Classic, Basic, REDEEM, and employer group programs where members send monthly shares to cover one another's medical bills.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Health Care Sharing Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Humanitarian Aid & Relief Ministries (BPAGAJAF), Faith-Based & Mission Service Programs (EDAIAGAI)

Keywords

• Health care sharing
• Medical bill sharing
• Christian health ministry
• Member-to-member sharing
• Faith-based healthcare

Headquarters

HQ city

Peoria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Monthly Member Shares: Members send monthly financial gifts directly to other members with medical needs. Amounts are based on membership program (Classic or Basic), number of household participants, and age of oldest participant. Classic ranges $210-$925/month, Basic ranges $125-$525/month. Administrative costs are covered during first 3 months when new members send shares to SMI instead of other members.
2. Application and Administrative Fees: One-time non-refundable application fee of $200 per membership. Save to Share program has a $15 annual administrative fee. Switching between programs incurs a $100 non-refundable fee.
3. Donations: Friends of the ministry can donate online. Donations help support ministry operations and member assistance programs beyond regular sharing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Samaritan Ministries operates a Christian health care sharing ministry in which individual and family members send monthly financial shares directly to other members with qualifying medical needs, accompanied by prayers and notes of encouragement. The organization offers multiple sharing programs (Samaritan Classic, Samaritan Basic, REDEEM Essential, REDEEM Enhanced, REDEEM SeniorSaver) plus an employer-sponsored channel (Samaritan Groups) and optional add-ons such as Save to Share for catastrophic needs and FlexShare for dental, vision, mental health, and naturopathic care.

Product overview

Samaritan Ministries offers a suite of Christian health care sharing programs designed for individuals, families, and groups. The portfolio includes three REDEEM HealthShare programs (Essential, Enhanced, SeniorSaver), two traditional sharing programs (Samaritan Basic and Samaritan Classic), and employer/group solutions (Samaritan Groups). Optional add-ons include FlexShare (expanding sharing to include dental, vision, mental health, and naturopathic care) and Save to Share (for catastrophic needs exceeding program limits). The programs work through a direct member-to-member sharing model where members send monthly shares to other members with medical needs. A companion wellness resource (Family Health Checkup radio program) and referral program (Tell A Friend) complement the core sharing programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Samaritan Basic: Health care sharing program with $2,000 Initial Unshareable Amount, 90% sharing percentage, starting at $125/month
• Samaritan Classic
• Samaritan Groups
• REDEEM HealthShare
• Save to Share
• Family Health Checkup
• Morning Center

Products and services

• REDEEM Essential Next-generation Christian health care sharing program with a low co-share option and an optional $1,000 FlexShare add-on, starting at $91/month, for individual and family members seeking budget-friendly monthly shares.
• REDEEM Enhanced Next-generation Christian health care sharing program with no co-share and prescription sharing included, plus an optional $1,500 FlexShare add-on, starting at $113/month.
• REDEEM SeniorSaver Christian health care sharing program for seniors age 65+ that complements Medicare Parts A and B, with an optional $1,000 FlexShare add-on, starting at $116/month.
• Samaritan Basic Traditional Christian health care sharing program with a $2,000 Initial Unshareable Amount, 90% sharing percentage of qualifying bills after the IUA is met, and lower monthly cost starting at $125/month.
• Samaritan Classic Traditional Christian health care sharing program with a $1,000 Initial Unshareable Amount, 100% sharing of qualifying non-maternity needs after the IUA, generous maternity care, starting at $210/month.
• Samaritan Groups Employer-sponsored health care sharing solution for churches, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations, allowing them to pay for employee individual Samaritan memberships via Collective Share Group or Individual Share Group structures with annual billing ($1,648-$11,514 per household per year plus a $200 one-time per-employee sign-up fee).
• Save to Share Optional catastrophic-needs program for Samaritan Classic and Basic members whose qualified needs exceed program maximums (over $500,000 for Classic or $497,500 for Basic); members set aside designated annual amounts ($133, $266, or $399 based on family size) plus a $15 annual administrative fee.
• Family Health Checkup Daily one-minute radio program produced by Samaritan Ministries offering Christian-perspective health tips, distributed through Amb-OS to 1,100+ radio outlets and targeting women age 25-54.
• Morning Center Christ-centered prenatal through postpartum maternity care program opened by Samaritan Ministries in 2013 to serve women in need, expanding the ministry's service portfolio beyond medical bill sharing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $420 million saved by members through discount negotiations in FY2024-2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Valenz HealthcoreTechnology or IntegrationValenz Health provides integration with the ministry for provider price and quality information, upfront price negotiation services, and bill negotiation. Valenz Bluebook Concierge helps members find appropriate care and negotiate medical costs. Provider Relations team works with Valenz to help members save on medical expenses.
• Amb-OSminorOthersAmb-OS distributes the Family Health Checkup radio program to over 1,100 outlets nationwide. Provides FTP access for program delivery and permission systems for radio stations.
• Bluebook CareConnect / Bluebook ConciergecoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides care compass services to help members find quality surgery centers and healthcare providers, with testimonials from members praising the assistance in finding care and negotiating costs.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sedera Health: Medical cost sharing community emphasizing direct member-to-member sharing with modern digital platform. Comparable non-insurance cost-sharing model with employer and individual offerings.
• Altrua HealthShare: Faith-based healthcare sharing ministry providing member-to-member sharing programs for individuals and families. Comparable non-insurance Christian sharing approach.
• Zion HealthShare: Member-owned healthcare sharing community offering direct bill sharing with three program tiers. Comparable nonprofit sharing model with faith-friendly but not strictly Christian requirements.
• Liberty HealthShare: Faith-based healthcare sharing ministry offering multiple program tiers to Christian individuals and families. Directly comparable member-to-member model and faith-based value proposition.
• OneShare Health: Christian healthcare sharing ministry with multiple program tiers, employer group offerings, and faith-based membership requirements. Closely aligned in product structure and target market.
• Solidarity HealthShare: Catholic-inspired healthcare sharing ministry offering member-to-member bill sharing with faith-based membership criteria. Comparable in religious-affiliated sharing model.
• Christian Care Ministry (Medi-Share): Largest healthcare sharing ministry serving Christian individuals and families with direct member-to-member bill sharing. Most directly comparable to Samaritan Ministries in mission, model, and target demographic.

Broad incumbents

• UnitedHealthcare: Largest U.S. health insurer with broad product portfolio including employer-sponsored coverage. Represents the traditional incumbent whose high prices ($8,435+/year single coverage) create the demand Samaritan exploits.
• Kaiser Permanente: Major integrated health system and insurer; while structurally different, represents the closed-network model against which Samaritan's 'no network, freedom to choose' positioning is differentiated.

Emerging players

• CrowdHealth: Tech-enabled crowdfunding platform for medical bills; while not faith-based, it disrupts the same non-insurance cost-sharing space with a modern digital approach and represents a forward-looking threat.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/samaritanmin
• Facebookfacebook.com/samaritanministries
• Instagraminstagram.com/samaritanmin

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Samaritan Ministries