Affordable Healthcare
Lutherans have a history of helping those with medical needs. For example, over the years, many Lutheran hospitals have saved many a life and contributed to the improvement of the lives of people traversing this sin-scarred world.
In keeping with this beneficial practice to help one's neighbor, the pastor of Agnus Dei Lutheran Church has in the past volunteered at the local hospital in visiting the sick, dying, and bereaved.
The congregation also supports the creative delivery of healthcare services using cost-efficient methods and means. So what follows are the web pages of various groups both local and national that are making headway in making healthcare dollars go much father than bureaucratically bound delivery models.
We cannot vouch for the goodness or failings of each individual group listed. We provide this curated list simply as a place to start in doing one's due diligence in finding those people places and things that can contribute to the betterment of peoples' health while a pilgrim in this world.
Healthcare Insurance Alternatives
After the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) passed, we discovered some medical cost sharing groups carved out and exempted from many of its onerous requirements and mandates. These groups are able to offer to many people an alternative to comprehensive health Insurance at greatly reduced cost. In Alphabetical order:
There are another 96+ registered health care sharing ministries around the country according to The Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries (AHCSM) and HHS. The names of these other smaller ministries is unknown as the research has not been done to track them down. Perhaps an email to AHCSM will lead to more information. May the Lord bless your search.
Local Resources
The congregation supports discounted medical clinics so that those without health insurance, without a sharing plan, or with limited financial means can receive some basic healthcare at a reduced price as a result of the free generosity of others.
Direct Patient Care (DPC)
The direct patient care model of delivering healthcare services is a growing trend that allows the free market to provide affordable care for more people in a timely manner. As we discover providers in the Fredericksburg area that are adopting this effective means for serving people, we will update this section. At this time, we are unaware of any local DPC practices. We have seen some in Alexandria, Richmond, Orange, and Charlottesville. If you are part of a medical practice that is considering this model, please contact the pastor at 540.446.0777.
Cost Efficient Healthcare Resources
We have run into a few new out-of the box approaches to more cost-efficient healthcare. The key trick is paying cash and avoiding the insurance bureaucracy. We are going only by what we research and discover. We have no financial interest nor get any financial benefit in telling people about these groups:
Medibid This is a kind of marketplace where one can for a small fee, request doctors and healthcare groups from around the world to bid on performing a planned procedure. Due diligence is highly recommended for this to be safe and cost efficient.
The Surgery Center of Oklahoma These are leaders in cash procedures. If you are self pay or under-insured, this can be a very cheap option. Savings potentially can be upwards of 80% of what the big guys charge yet still with top notch doctors. More info on their website.
More to come...