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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
Regular Session, 2014
SENATE BILL NO. 178
BY SENATORS MORRISH, BROWN, JOHNS, LONG, PETERSON AND GARY SMITH
HEALTH/ACC INSURANCE. Provides with respect to health care sharing ministries.
(8/1/14)
AN ACT1
To enact Subpart J-1 of Part I of Chapter 2 of Title 22 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of2
1950, to be comprised of R.S.22:318, relative to health care sharing ministries; to3
provide for the definition of a health care sharing ministry; to provide with respect4
to required disclaimers; to provide for the exemption from provisions of the state5
insurance laws; and to provide for related matters.6
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:7
Section 1. Subpart J-1 of Part I of Chapter 2 of Title 22 of the Louisiana Revised8
Statutes of 1950, to be comprised of R.S. 22:318, is hereby enacted to read as follows:9
SUBPART J-1. HEALTH CARE SHARING MINISTRIES10
ยง318. Health care sharing ministries11
A.(1) As used in this Subpart, "health care sharing ministry" means a12
faith-based, nonprofit, tax-exempt organization that limits its participants to13
those who are of a similar faith and that acts as a facilitator between14
participants who have financial or medical needs and those participants with15
the ability to provide financial or medical assistance in accordance with criteria16
established by the ministry.17 SB NO. 178
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
(2) All financial contributions shall be made without assumption of risk1
or promise to pay by the participants or by the ministry.2
B. The ministry shall provide a written monthly statement to all3
participants listing the total dollar amount of qualified financial or medical4
needs submitted to the ministry and the dollar amount actually published or5
assigned to the participants for their contribution.6
C. The ministry shall provide a written disclaimer on all applications7
and guideline materials distributed by or on behalf of the ministry that reads,8
in substance: "Notice: The ministry facilitating the sharing of medical expenses9
is not an insurance company. Neither the guidelines nor the plan of operation10
of the ministry constitutes an insurance policy. Financial assistance for the11
payment of medical expenses is strictly voluntary. Participation in the ministry12
or a subscription to any publication issued by the ministry shall not be13
considered as enrollment in any health insurance plan or as a waiver of your14
responsibility to pay your medical expenses."15
D. Health care sharing ministries shall be exempt from all other16
provisions of the insurance laws of this state unless the ministries are expressly17
designated therein, or unless the provision is specifically made applicable by this18
Subpart.19
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Cheryl Horne.
DIGEST
Morrish (SB 178)
Proposed law defines a health care sharing ministry as a faith based, nonprofit, tax-exempt
organization that limits its participants to those who are of a similar faith and that acts as a
facilitator between participants who have financial or medical needs and participants who
have the ability to provide financial or medical assistance.
Proposed law requires financial contributions to be made without assumption of risk or the
promise to pay by the participants or the ministry.
Proposed law requires the ministry to provide written monthly statements to all participants
listing the total dollar amount of qualified financial or medical needs submitted to the
ministry as well as the dollar amount actually published or assigned to the participants for
their contribution. SB NO. 178
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
Proposed law requires the ministry to provide a disclaimer on all applications and guideline
materials published by or on behalf of the ministry that reads, in substance: "Notice: The
ministry facilitating the sharing of medical expenses is not an insurance company. Neither
the guidelines nor the plan of operation of the ministry constitutes an insurance policy.
Financial assistance for the payment of medical expenses is strictly voluntary. Participation
in the ministry or a subscription to any publication issued by the ministry shall not be
considered as enrollment in a group health insurance plan or as a waiver of your
responsibility to pay your medical expenses."
Proposed law exempts health care sharing ministries from all other provisions of the state
insurance laws unless the law expressly includes the ministries or the law is made applicable
to the ministries by proposed law.
Effective August 1, 2014.
(Adds R.S. 22:318)