Morrish (SB 178) Act No. 20
New law defines a health care sharing ministry as a faith based, nonprofit, tax-exempt
organization that does each of the following:
(1)Limits participants to those who are of a similar faith and acts as a facilitator
between participants who have financial or medical needs and participants
who have the ability to provide financial or medical assistance.
(2)Provides amounts that participants may contribute without assumption of risk
or the promise to pay by the participants or the ministry.
(3)Provides 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.
(4)Provides a written disclaimer on or with all applications and guideline
materials published by or on behalf of the ministry that reads as follows 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."
Exempts health care sharing ministries from all provisions of the Louisiana Insurance Code
unless these ministries are expressly provided in the Code or if provisions of new law are
specifically made applicable to the these ministries.
Effective August 1, 2014.
(Adds R.S. 22:318 and 319)