Samaritan Ministries and OneShare Health answer the same question — how should Christians carry each other’s burdens — with opposite architectures. Samaritan routes your monthly share directly to a member household. OneShare builds plan-style programs with tiers, visit fees, and lifetime maximums that feel familiar to anyone leaving insurance-era coverage. The pricing floors are closer than you might expect: OneShare starts at $115 for individuals, Samaritan’s Classic ranges $210–$925 by household and age.
| Samaritan Ministries | OneShare Health | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1994 | — |
| Headquarters | Peoria, IL | — |
| Monthly price range | $210–$925/mo (Classic, by household size and age) | From $115/mo (individuals, Catastrophic program) |
| Initial unshared amount | Initial Unscheduled Amount (IUA) per need — commonly $1,000–$2,000 by program, plus co-share on some programs | ISA options: $5,000 / $7,500 / $10,000 |
| Per-need sharing limit | Classic: $500,000 per need; Basic: $497,500 (Sept 2026 guidelines) | Classic tiers: $250,000–$1,000,000 lifetime maximum |
| Programs | Basic, Classic, Secure, Elevate | Catastrophic, Classic (multiple tiers) |
| Faith requirements | Statement of faith and church involvement requirements | Statement of faith |
Data verified as of September 2026. Confirm current pricing and guidelines with each ministry directly.
Full Samaritan Ministries profile · Full OneShare Health profile
How the models differ
OneShare’s structure is the easier adjustment if you’re used to copays and plan tiers, but that familiarity comes with fine print: visit fees for smaller ER visits, program-year limits on some services, and lifetime maximums that a serious illness can consume. Samaritan has none of that apparatus — its guidelines govern what’s shareable, its IUA applies per need, and its per-need cap ($500,000 on Classic as of September 2026) is published rather than lifetime-limited. The cost of that simplicity: you negotiate cash prices without a network.
Who each one suits
Samaritan Ministries strengths
- Direct member-to-member sharing — your money goes to a named household
- Clear per-need caps published in guidelines ($500,000 Classic as of Sept 2026)
- Four program levels from Basic to Elevate for different budgets
Samaritan Ministries watch-outs
- No provider network — cash-price negotiation is on you
- IUA applies per need, so a year with several needs means several IUAs
- Some programs add a co-share on top of the IUA
OneShare Health strengths
- Low published floor: programs start at $115/mo for individuals
- ISA options ($5,000/$7,500/$10,000) to match your budget
- Plan-style tiers feel familiar to people coming from insurance-era coverage
OneShare Health watch-outs
- Lifetime sharing maximums ($250K–$1M on Classic) can be consumed by one serious illness
- Fine print includes visit fees and program-year limits on some services
- A newer ministry with a shorter track record than the veterans
The verdict
Choose OneShare if plan-style predictability eases the transition from insurance and you’ve read its program terms carefully. Choose Samaritan if you want the direct relational model, no lifetime caps, and you’re willing to handle provider negotiation yourself. This is a values-and-administration choice more than a price choice.
Disclosure: this site is published by Anglican Care, a healthcare sharing ministry. We publish the same data categories for every ministry we cover, including our own — and these comparisons can lead you to another ministry without us. Data verified September 2026; ministries change pricing and guidelines regularly, so confirm current terms before joining.