Membership is month to month; you can withdraw your membership at any time. If you decide to withdraw membership, you will become an inactive member. Please note, that if you decide to withdraw membership mid-month, you will be considered a member until the end of that month (no partial month refund).  If you withdraw membership and rejoin, you will  be required to pay an additional Enrollment Fee.

We share in pregnancies provided that the sharing mother was married at the time of conception and that the estimated due date is a minimum of ten (10) months from the date of enrollment when membership effective date is the first of the following month. When membership start date has been deferred, a pregnancy will be eligible if the estimated due date is a minimum of ten (10) months from the membership effective date.   Pregnancies of single members are subject to a Pregnancy Fee of $2,500.  Pregnancies of sharing mothers who are part of a couple membership are subject to a Pregnancy Fee of $900.  Pregnancies of sharing mothers who are part of a family membership are not subject to a Pregnancy Fee.

United Refuah HealthShare is the first and ONLY Jewish-based Health Care Sharing Organization. This is important because now Jewish Americans may join a Health Sharing organization without making representations which are contrary to their faith beliefs.

The founders of United Refuah designed it with the unique characteristics of the American Jewish population in mind. The goal was to be the best health care sharing organization for its members, which doesn’t necessarily mean the lowest monthly contribution.  The founders have taken  the best of other health care sharing organizations  in order to provide the best value to our members.  The best health care sharing organization does more than allow for low monthly share amounts: It brings like-minded members together to share their eligible medical expenses, and it provides the members with the tools necessary to maintain and improve their health, as well as navigate the medical provider systems, for cost effective and quality medical services. That’s what we do at United Refuah Health Share.

In addition to facilitating the sharing of medical expenses, United Refuah assists its members in keeping medical needs low by having them become healthy and stay healthy.  We do this for all members, through the following methods:

  1. Health Assistance
  2. Access
  3. Advice

1 – We are Health focused – Our members are best served when the eligible medical needs of our members are lower. We therefore exert significant effort to improve and maintain the health of our members.  Each member participates in health coaching to discuss and set realistic goals.  Through the proactive management of our members’ health, the membership becomes healthier, which drives down medical costs and saves everyone money.

2 – Access:  Each member has  24 / 7 access to a doctor through a telehealth platform, which saves members’ time and money. Each time Telehealth is used, the average savings  is $250, in addition to the time saved.  United Refuah also includes access to Mental Health services.  URHS offers 10 visits for mental health per year, subject to the preexisting condition limitations.

3 – Advice: We provide a medical concierge service for our members.  Whether you are looking for a GI specialist, or need advice on where to get the lowest cost for an MRI, or when calling in for sharing of medical needs services, our Advice team will assist you with any and all those questions. Navigating the health care system, with nontransparent prices and confusing choices can be difficult; United Refuah provides advice to its members.  Note: United Refuah has an open network.  All members can see any Provider they choose.

Bottom Line Value:  What is your health worth?    Is the cheapest car the best car?  In addition to facilitating the sharing of eligible medical expenses, United Refuah is also concerned with improving your health and keeping you healthy. Your health is the true value of a membership in United Refuah Health Share.  When you are healthy, life is better (and less expensive).

United Refuah HealthShare was founded by successful businessmen, employers, and parents of the Cleveland Jewish community who saw the challenges of  providing appropriate healthcare to their employees and their families.  Over the past four years, the founders engaged industry and community leaders to ensure that the culture and the needs of the Jewish community within the Health Share were maintained and revered, while creating a superior HealthShare organization.

Yes. Your monthly payment will depend on your membership type (single, couple, or family), the number of persons in your family and your level of participation in WellCheck℠. Each month, your monthly payment will be placed into your Refuah ShareFund, less a nominal administrative fee, which is shared with other members that have medical bills regardless if you have any medical expenses of your own. Giving consistently each month will allow you to be eligible to have your medical bills shared with other members. To determine your monthly contribution amount, please refer to the ‘Program Summary’ menu choice under the “United Refuah Program” tab.

United Refuah HealthShare is the health-sharing program of Maysville Fellowship Medical Aid Plan, a Jewish HealthSharing Ministry. United Refuah HealthShare is NOT affiliated with any other religious ministry.

A pre-existing condition is any condition at the time of enrollment that has evidenced symptoms, received treatment or medication, or required monitoring during in the past 36 months. We share in pre-existing conditions according to the following schedule:

  • First year of membership:        Not eligible for sharing
  • Second year of membership:   Up to $25,000 is eligible
  • Third year of membership:      Up to $25,000 is eligible
  • Fourth year and following of continuous membership: the condition is no longer considered pre-existing.

For some pre-existing conditions, United RefuahSM may require a permanent waiver, so that a condition is never eligible for sharing, even though the applicant becomes a member.

Let’s break this down into four levels of prescription medications:
  • INPATIENT MEDICATION: Prescription medication administered to a member admitted to the hospital while in the hospital is eligible for sharing.
  • HIGH-DOLLAR DRUGS: Expensive medication or treatment protocols are eligible for sharing. The definition of a high-dollar drug is one that the cost of a full course of treatment is over $10,000.
  • BRAND NAME DRUGS: Prescriptions for brand name medication are ineligible for sharing. However, we can assist our members in obtaining these medications, usually at very significant discounts or even at no cost, through the Patient Assistance Programs of the drug manufacturers for self-pay patients.
  • STANDARD PRESCRIPTIONS: Standard Prescriptions are not eligible for sharing. All members should have received our TeleRefuah discount card for discounted medications nationwide. This card should help you get a 30%-50% discount on medications at the pharmacy of your choice. If you don’t have the card, please call us, and we will mail you a new one. Many other online resources can also help you find great prices on medications, such as GoodRX.com and NeedyMeds.org.
If you need help with any of the above, please reach out to one of friendly team members at (440) 772-0700 who will be happy to assist you.

If any family member on your application is not eligible to join United Refuah HealthShareSM, the application may be withdrawn, and the Initial Enrollment Fee can be refunded upon request.

If one or more family members is/are required to participate in WellCheckSM Assist or WellCheckSM Support, all family members may withdraw, and the Initial Enrollment Fee can be refunded upon request. You may choose to continue membership without the ineligible person. In that case, the Initial Enrollment Fee would not be refundable.

Except for the administrative fees and WellCheck fees, United Refuah HealthShare℠ does not own any of the remaining funds. They are held for you in your Refuah ShareFund for your medical expenses or to share with other members with medical needs. Members can view their ShareFund balances at any time by logging into their member portal. Administrative Fees include Enrollment Fees, Renewal Fees, first two months contributions, and 20% of ongoing contributions.

We will take every reasonable precaution to ensure that funds are used appropriately and ethically, in line with the principles outlined in the Sharing Guidelines.

Members of our organization believe that our bodies are gifts from G-d and require respect and care. Furthermore, we believe that there is an ethical obligation to the United Refuah community to lead a healthy lifestyle and  keep medical costs down.  In general, healthy lifestyle requirements include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Abstain from tobacco/nicotine use in any form.
  • Follow biblical teachings on the use of alcohol.
  • Never abuse prescription drugs. (i.e. Consuming prescription medications in a manner not intended by the prescribing physician, or that would likely result in harm or dependency.)
  • Abstain from the use of illegal drugs, including, but not limited to, hallucinogenic substance, barbiturates, amphetamines, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, illegal intravenous drugs, or narcotics.
  • Exercise regularly and eat healthy foods that are beneficial to the body.

Applicants are required to complete an accurate and complete Health Questionnaire for each family member within the application and enrollment process.  This form provides information needed to determine whether each person in the family is eligible for membership. Certain health conditions may preclude an applicant from joining, or may require specific waivers as condition of joining.

In addition, all applicants age 50+ are required to provide three years of complete medical records, as well as a well visit records from within the past 12 months. Certain other applicants may be required to provide medical records or recent well visit notes.

Members are required to remit payment by the last day of the current Sharing Month.. If the member is unable to make the payment by then, their Sharing Membership status will be changed to inactive, retroactive to the beginning of the month.  Inactive members have no sharing eligibility for any bills during an inactive month. A member will be able to reactivate his or her membership by paying in full the inactive month(s’) payment(s), provided that the membership has been inactive for less than 60 days. Medical expenses incurred during inactive membership will never be eligible for sharing even if the membership is reactivated.  If a members has been inactive for more than 60 days, the member(s) would need to reapply as a new member(s) if he or she wishes to reactivate.

For more information, see Sharing Guidelines.

You can let a provider or hospital know that you are uninsured, but part of a Health Share,“United Refuah HealthShare℠”. Simply present your card at visits, and most providers will scan or copy it for reference. Your member ID card will have the information that the provider or facility needs to submit the bills for service.

United Refuah HealthShare℠ does not have deductibles or co-pays. Each member has an Annual Preshare Amount, which varies by membership type. Once the member has surpassed the Annual Preshare Amount, United Refuah HealthShare℠ will share 80% of eligible medical bills up to the threshold explained below. Once this threshold has been reached, United Refuah will share 100% of all eligible medical bills for the remainder of the membership year, up to $1 million dollars per incident ($25,000 during the first 60 days of membership for all incidents combined).

Each pregnancy has an additional Pregnancy Fee of $900 for Couple memberships and $2,500 for a Single (married woman) membership.

United Refuah also has a Maximum Co-Share Amount per Sharing Year, based on the membership type as follows:

  • $1,000 for a single
  • $2,000 for a couple
  • $4,000 for a family

In addition to your enrollment fee, monthly contributions, and WellCheck fees (if applicable) the maximum expenses that can be incurred in a year are your Annual PreShare, Maximum Annual Co-Share, and Pregnancy Fee. If your providers bill above our maximum reimbursement rates, the excess balance bill is the member responsibility and ineligible for sharing.

Single:     $500 (Annual PreShare) + $1000 (Maximum Annual Co-Share) + $2500 (Pregnancy Fee) = $4000

Couple: $1000 (Annual PreShare) + $2000 (Maximum Annual Co-Share) + $900 (Pregnancy Fee) = $3900

Family:  $1500 (Annual PreShare) + $4000 (Maximum Annual Co-Share) = $5,500

STEP ONE:

Call member services to receive clarification and to understand why the decision was made. There may be differences of opinion or a misunderstanding that can be easily reconciled. Most disputes can be resolved with a simple phone call.

STEP TWO:

Follow the “DISPUTE RESOLUTION AND APPEALS” process outlined in the Guidelines (see section. XIII.)

Many participants have insurance through an employer or another source. In cases where there is an outstanding balance even after insurance payment, United Refuah HealthShare℠ will share the balance, in accordance with the Sharing Guidelines.

MINIMUM: Once you’ve paid your Annual Preshare Amount, there is no minimum.

MAXIMUM: The maximum shared per incident is $1,000,000. This limit is applied to a medical incident even if the medical expenses occurred in more than one Sharing Year. For acute medical illnesses, accidents, or injuries that have occurred during the first 60 days, sharing is limited to a maximum of $10,000 for all incidents and all members combined.

Many doctors and providers will accept healthsharing and bill United Refuah HealthShare directly, since they are usually reimbursed  quicker and without the hassles of insurance.   Always ask your doctor and present your ID card in advance of receiving services.

If a doctor or provider is not willing to bill United Refuah HealthShare directly, you can request that they bill you as an uninsured patient, and then submit the bill to United Refuah for processing. If the practitioner or facility requires advance payment and is unwilling to work with our team, your self-paid bills can be submitted to United Refuah for reimbursement.  In order to qualify for reimbursement, bills must be within Usual and Customary and submitted via secure upload, fax, or mail.  Pictures are not accepted.  Ask your provider for a Superbill or HCFA (the bill the provider would have sent to an insurance company) and a payment receipt if you remitted payment.

After meeting the Annual PreShare Amount for your membership type ($500 for Single, $1000 for Couple, and $1500 for Family), United Refuah HealthShare℠ will share 80% of eligible medical expenses and the member will be responsible for 20% up to the maximum Co-Share amount ($1,000 for single, $2,000 for a couple, or $4,000 for family). Once the maximum Co-Share amount has been reached, eligible medical expenses are shared 100% up to a maximum of $1,000,000 per incident. Medical expenses relating to the same medical incident exceeding this amount are not eligible for sharing even in subsequent membership years.

Please note that there are additional limitations during the first 60 days of membership.

Membership in a Health Sharing organization exempts members from the ACA mandate.  If you or your tax planner require any information regarding the penalty exemption for HealthShare members, or for a more detailed explanation of this topic, please email [email protected].

The medical bill is submitted to United Refuah, either by you or your provider. Once it is received, United Refuah HealthShare℠ will initiate the sharing process.

Once a bill has been submitted to United Refuah HealthShare℠ we will first determine eligibility.  If the bill is deemed eligible for sharing, we will share in accordance with our Sharing Guidelines.  Once  the Annual Pre-Share Amount (APA) has been met, United Refuah will share 80% of eligible expenses for the remainder of your membership year (based on enrollment date) up to the designated maximum limit..

If a member pays out of pocket for an eligible medical expense, the member will be reimbursed by United Refuah HealthShare℠ in accordance with our Sharing Guidelines. Otherwise, we will reimburse the provider directly.

Upon payment or denial of payment, an Explanation of Sharing (EOS) will be provided to help you understand the determination. If you still have questions, the member services line is available to assist you further.

We take the security of your medical information very seriously.   Like other healthcare organizations, United Refuah HealthShare℠ follows Federal regulations regarding HIPAA Compliance and the safeguarding of medical information. Except as outlined in our privacy policy, we will not use or disclose your personal health information for any purpose unless you have signed a form authorizing the use or disclosure.  For a more comprehensive outline of our privacy practices, please see our Privacy Policy.

Dependents are able to  join your plan if they are:

  • Unmarried Dependent Child
    • An unmarried dependent child may participate with his or her parent(s) or legal guardian(s) under a Sharing Membership up to and including age 19, until he/she reaches age 20
  • Disabled Dependent
    • An unmarried dependent can continue to be a dependent if they are unable to be a full-time student because of illness or injury, physical or mental. A physician or qualified health professional will be required to verify this disability.
  • Full-time Student
    • An unmarried dependent child age 20-26 may participate in his or her parent/guardian’s Sharing Membership only if he/she is a full-time student or assigned to a multi-month internship.
  • Newborn
    • A newborn may be added as a dependent to a membership. Notification of birth should be submitted in writing within thirty days of the birth. Such notice is the responsibility of the existing Sharing Member.
  • Newly-Adopted
    • A newly-adopted child may be added as a dependent to a membership.  Existing Sharing Member must provide notification of adoption in writing within thirty days of the finalized adoption, including all and any medical history of the child. Existing medical conditions may be considered preexisting and possibly declined for sharing entirely.

We are currently not accepting members who smoke or use any tobacco or tobacco-type products (i.e. vaping, e-cigs). If you have quit smoking for at least six months, and can complete a nicotine screening, you can apply for membership.