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Health Share Plans in Colorado: A Lower-Cost Option, Honestly Explained
Health Share vs. Marketplace Plan: What Actually Differs
Understanding how health shares compare to marketplace plans helps you figure out which one fits your situation. Here's how the two options differ across the factors that matter most:
- Monthly cost: Health shares typically carry lower monthly contributions than ACA marketplace plans, especially for healthy individuals and families who don't qualify for premium tax credits. For subsidy-ineligible households, the savings can be significant.
- Pre-existing conditions: Marketplace plans are required to cover pre-existing conditions without exclusion. Health shares are not — many programs have waiting periods or permanent exclusions for conditions that existed before you joined.
- Guaranteed payment: Marketplace plans are legally required to pay covered claims. Health shares operate on sharing guidelines, not guarantees. If your situation falls outside those guidelines, the cost may not be shared.
- Preventive care: ACA plans must cover a defined set of preventive services at no cost. Health shares vary widely — some cover preventive care, others don't, and the details live in each program's member guidelines.
- Prescriptions: Marketplace plans include prescription drug coverage. Health share programs handle medications differently by plan, and many have limited or no prescription sharing.
- Enrollment timing: Most health shares accept new members year-round, unlike marketplace plans, which require a qualifying life event or open enrollment period to join outside of the standard window.
- Who it tends to fit: Health shares work best for self-employed individuals, healthy adults, and households that earn too much to qualify for meaningful marketplace subsidies. They are generally a poor fit for anyone with ongoing medical needs, regular prescriptions, or conditions that may be excluded.
This comparison isn't meant to push you toward either option. It's meant to give you enough information to have a real conversation about which one makes sense for your life.
A health care sharing ministry — commonly called a health share or healthshare — is an arrangement where members contribute a monthly amount to a shared pool, and that pool is used to cover each other's eligible medical costs. Health share plans Colorado residents use most commonly are structured around either faith-based or secular programs, and both work on the same general premise: members share costs rather than pay premiums to an insurance company.
It's important to understand from the start that a health share is not insurance. Health shares are not required by law to cover pre-existing conditions, and they do not guarantee payment of your medical bills. Colorado does require health care sharing arrangements to report data to the Colorado Division of Insurance, which gives the state visibility into how these programs operate — but that oversight is not the same as the regulatory protections that apply to licensed insurance carriers.
That distinction matters. It doesn't make health shares illegitimate — it makes them a different kind of tool, with different rules, different risks, and different advantages.
What Is a Health Share Plan?
Faith-Based and Secular Health Shares: What's the Difference?
Health shares started as faith-based organizations — groups of people who shared religious values and a commitment to helping one another with medical costs. Many of the largest and most established programs still operate this way, and some require members to affirm a statement of faith or agree to lifestyle guidelines as a condition of membership.
Secular health shares emerged more recently to serve people who want the cost structure of a health share without the religious component. These programs function similarly but drop the faith-based membership requirements.
Both types are legal in Colorado and subject to the state's reporting requirements. The right choice between them isn't about which is more legitimate — it's about which program's guidelines, sharing rules, and membership requirements fit your household. We review the specifics of each program we work with before recommending it, so you're comparing real options rather than marketing descriptions.
Is a Health Share Right for You? What We Look For
Health sharing plans for self-employed individuals are one of the most common use cases we see, and for good reason. If you're running your own business, you're paying full freight on your coverage with no employer contribution — and marketplace premiums at full cost can be steep. A health share can meaningfully reduce that monthly outlay if your health profile and risk tolerance are a good match.
We look at a few things before recommending a health share:
- Your current health status and any pre-existing conditions that might be excluded
- Whether you qualify for marketplace premium tax credits that would reduce the cost comparison
- How you use healthcare — routine visits and prescriptions versus primarily catastrophic coverage
- Your comfort level with the difference between "sharing guidelines" and "guaranteed coverage"
- Which specific programs are currently available in Colorado and how their track records compare
If a health share fits, we'll show you why. If it doesn't, we'll tell you that too — and show you what a marketplace plan would actually cost instead. The goal is the right fit, not the sale.
Does it cost more to use a health insurance broker?
Generally, you don't pay us a separate fee to help you compare and enroll in the plans we represent. Insurance carriers may compensate brokers when an enrollment occurs.
We'll explain our role, review the options available to you, and help you understand what you're considering before you make a decision.
How do insurance brokers get paid?
Insurance brokers are commonly compensated by insurance carriers when clients enroll in certain plans. That allows us to help clients review coverage without charging a separate consultation fee in many situations.
If anything about our compensation applies differently to your situation, we'll explain it before you enroll.
What's the difference between an insurance broker and an agent?
Some insurance agents represent a single insurance company. Independent brokers can work with multiple carriers.
As an independent brokerage, Lighthouse Group can review plans from the insurance companies we represent and help you compare factors such as premiums, benefits, provider networks, and prescription coverage.
Can a broker help me after I enroll?
Yes. Our relationship doesn't have to end when you choose a plan.
We can continue helping with questions about your coverage, renewals, plan changes, and other issues that come up along the way. If something isn't making sense, you have someone you can ask.
Why not just buy a plan on my own?
You absolutely can.
The challenge is that a plan name and monthly premium don't tell you everything. Your doctors, prescriptions, provider network, deductible, and expected healthcare needs can all affect how well a plan works for you.
We help you look beyond the price tag so you can better understand what you're choosing before you enroll.
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Common Questions About Health Shares in Colorado
Is a health share the same as health insurance?
No. A health share is a cost-sharing arrangement between members, not an insurance product. Health shares are not required to cover pre-existing conditions or guarantee payment of claims. They operate under sharing guidelines rather than the legal coverage requirements that apply to licensed insurance carriers in Colorado.No. A health share is a cost-sharing arrangement between members, not an insurance product. Health shares are not required to cover pre-existing conditions or guarantee payment of claims. They operate under sharing guidelines rather than the legal coverage requirements that apply to licensed insurance carriers in Colorado.Are health share plans legal in Colorado?
Yes. Health care sharing ministries and secular health share programs are legal in Colorado. The state requires health care sharing arrangements to report data to the Colorado Division of Insurance, but that reporting requirement is not the same as the regulatory protections that apply to licensed insurance plans.Yes. Health care sharing ministries and secular health share programs are legal in Colorado. The state requires health care sharing arrangements to report data to the Colorado Division of Insurance, but that reporting requirement is not the same as the regulatory protections that apply to licensed insurance plans.Can I join a health share if I have a pre-existing condition?
It depends on the program and the condition. Many health shares impose waiting periods or permanent exclusions for conditions that existed before you enrolled. This is one of the most important things to review before joining — and one of the first things we walk through with you.It depends on the program and the condition. Many health shares impose waiting periods or permanent exclusions for conditions that existed before you enrolled. This is one of the most important things to review before joining — and one of the first things we walk through with you.Who is medical cost sharing a good fit for?
Health shares tend to work best for healthy individuals and families who don't qualify for meaningful marketplace subsidies, self-employed people looking to reduce their monthly costs, and people who primarily want coverage for unexpected or catastrophic medical events rather than routine care. They're generally not a strong fit for anyone with ongoing prescriptions, regular specialist visits, or conditions that may be excluded under sharing guidelines.Health shares tend to work best for healthy individuals and families who don't qualify for meaningful marketplace subsidies, self-employed people looking to reduce their monthly costs, and people who primarily want coverage for unexpected or catastrophic medical events rather than routine care. They're generally not a strong fit for anyone with ongoing prescriptions, regular specialist visits, or conditions that may be excluded under sharing guidelines.Can I enroll in a health share outside of open enrollment?
Most health share programs accept new members year-round, which is one advantage over ACA marketplace plans. Marketplace enrollment outside of open enrollment requires a qualifying life event. If you've missed open enrollment and need coverage, a health share may be worth exploring — though it's important to understand what you'd be trading off before you join.Most health share programs accept new members year-round, which is one advantage over ACA marketplace plans. Marketplace enrollment outside of open enrollment requires a qualifying life event. If you've missed open enrollment and need coverage, a health share may be worth exploring — though it's important to understand what you'd be trading off before you join.
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We Show You Both Options Before You Decide
Health shares are a legitimate option for the right person in the right situation. They're also an option that deserves a clear-eyed look at the fine print before you commit. At Lighthouse Group, we work with both health share programs and marketplace plans, which means we have no reason to steer you toward one over the other — only toward the one that fits.
We're an independent brokerage, and we've been helping Colorado residents sort through these decisions since 2015. If you're weighing a health share against a marketplace plan, or just trying to understand whether medical cost sharing is even worth exploring, we'll walk through it with you in plain language and give you a straight answer.
To compare your options with someone who knows both sides, reach out through our contact page or schedule a consultation with one of our advisors.
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