ComplaintsforChristian Healthcare Ministries, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  05/13/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I submitted a claim many many months ago and filled out and provided all the CHM recommended forms for my son’s injury in 2023 during a youth football game. I still have not received the Promised gift from CHM. CHM now is asking for a signed waiver or some document from the youth football organization stating they are not responsible for my son’s injuries. I have explained to them there is no waiver and no other document to submit. They refuse to submit the promised gift for reimbursement of our medical costs. They continue to take over $800 per month to keep service, which we are not getting anyway. This is definitely not a Christian way of doing business.

  

  Business response

  05/17/2024

  Hello ******,

  We'll be happy to continue processing your son's submission once we receive the necessary documentation.

  We process medical bills according to the CHM Guidelines, and the CHM Guidelines designate CHM as a secondary payment source, meaning other payment sources must be used before CHM will reimburse any eligible medical bills. Because of this designation, we require a waiver from your son's football team that shows they are not responsible for any injury acquired while participating on the team. 

  CHM is a ministry, not insurance. As such, we don't enter contracts with members or make promises. Rather, members voluntarily choose to participate in the sharing of each other's medical bills, taking on the calling to carry one another's burdens. 

  For more information on the type of documentation we need, please contact us at ***** ********. We look forward to processing your medical bills in accordance with our CHM Guidelines.

  Blessings,
  CHM Staff

  Customer response

  05/21/2024

  After much digging, which I should not have had to do we found the waiver and it is uploaded to this site.  The process should be much more straight forward for members and not such a hassle.  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  04/19/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  It has now been 6 and a half weeks since I contacted them about my need for thoracic disc surgery. They are not responding to my questions or getting back to me with an answer. So they are just leaving me in pain and limbo! I have given them all the medical information their stated forms require as well as their esoteric requests that were requested more than a month ago. In the meantime. I am in pain with multiple thoracic herniated discs and have other issues that require attention! Please see the letter and supporting attachments which I emailed a week ago on 4/12/24 with no response from them.

  

  Business response

  04/22/2024

  Hello *****,

  Thank you for your patience as we review your medical information. As we previously communicated, because sharing related to your ongoing disc condition had reached the allowable lifetime max, we needed to review your medical records to determine whether this new surgery could be processed as a separate condition or whether it was related to your ongoing condition. I received confirmation from our Eligibility Review Team that they are actively reviewing your medical records, and you should be hearing a determination from them very shortly.

  Please reach out to us at ***** ******** if you have any further questions.
  CHM Staff

  Customer response

  04/23/2024

   I am rejecting this response because: it is negligent to fail to respond to a person who is in need of surgery. You have had since March 6th, 2024 to consider your response and you had told me on March 27th that I would be contacted the next week. Also, had you read my letter you would see that CHM was the one who indicated that each surgery was a separate issue by the fact that YOUR paperwork requires each incident to be registered on it's own separate form. There are multiple issues here. 1) CHM's negligence in answering a member who asks for further information and to speak to a doctor there who is making decision based on medically inaccurate questions. Example: requesting multiple MRIs to prove distal herniations are related as such a thing is impossible. 2) Further medical attention is required for my neck after surgery. 3) I am in need of a thoracic surgery which not only should be covered under the gold level of membership but CHM Plus, as well, which has no lifetime limit. 
  
  
  

  

  Business response

  04/26/2024

  Hello *****, 

  You are correct that we request new paperwork for each incident a member submits. However, if all incidents stem from the same health issue, they’re considered part of the same “illness” according to the CHM Guidelines. After reviewing your medical records, it was determined that all of your incidents were related to the same underlying illness.  

  Each illness has a lifetime max of $125,000 unless the member participates in CHM Plus. For CHM Gold members with CHM Plus, illnesses no longer have a lifetime max. However, you cancelled your CHM Plus participation in September of last year. We do have a record of you renewing your CHM Plus participation in March of this year, but because you cancelled it in the middle of an active illness, that illness is now considered pre-existing to CHM Plus according to the CHM Guidelines and is no longer eligible for CHM Plus sharing.  

  Based on processing errors on our end, we extended a one-time exception and shared over $80,000 worth of medical bills above your lifetime max. This extended grace came with the caveat that no further bills for your illness would be eligible due to exceeding the lifetime max.  

  We needed to carefully examine your medical records to make sure we were processing your bills according to our CHM Guidelines. Abiding by our Guidelines maintains accuracy, accountability, and protection for all members. 

  Please reach out to us at ***** ******** if you have any further questions. 
  CHM Staff 

  Customer response

  05/03/2024

   I am rejecting this response because it does not make sense to call neck and lumbar vertebra herniations "ONE" illness. I emailed your eligibility department and, as usual, I was told a response would be forthcoming and it has not been. I feel you do not understand that I am in great pain. I canceled the CHM Plus in September --after paying faithfully for 4 years--because of serious financial problems. It was a matter of literally choosing between less groceries or upkeep of that that extra charge. As soon as I was able to reinstate and pay for CHM Plus, I did, of course. On top of being in a horrible financial situation, and needed surgery and having on going pain, CHM is telling me all disc impingements are one illness?! I do not understand how that makes sense. You have left me in a profound state of despair and depression. 
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  04/04/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I taught a Financial Peace University class at my church in February/March/April 2023. While teaching the class I became aware of CHM. My wife and I dropped our **** health insurance in July 2023 and picked up CHM Gold w/ Brother's Keeper option. I got a new gastro doc in August as mine retired. As a new client he wanted to perform an endoscopy since it had been 10 years since my last one. That was done in September 2023. After several emails, chats and phone calls (since this was my first submission) all paperwork and billing were turned in during November 2023. As of today, March 25th I have received $0 in reimbursements. I email them every week and they always state they are waiting for more paperwork from the doctor. When I call the doctor's office they continue to tell me they have received no calls or faxes asking for more paperwork. I continue to ask CHM what they need. They continue to state they want more patient history. I continue to tell them that I have no history there as I am a new patient. They also told me that if I drop coverage now they will not reimburse me for my 2023 expense! Don't even get me started about my wife's attempt to go to ***** ******* to see a specialist. They informed us that they do not accept CHM at any hospital or remote location and do not accept any patients who only have CHM insurance. When I called CHM to ask about this they stated that they had no idea that ***** ******* would not accept her as a return patient with CHM as their insurance provider. Now ** is not some local yocal hospital in the middle of nowhere. We CANNOT be the first member to get refused service there because we have CHM. There is no way they couldn't know this. So we have returned to **** and are now paying premiums to BOTH insurance companies while waiting for our 2023 claims to be reimbursed. Today they notified me they are not paying for my test as I was treated for **** for many years...totally false.

  

  Business response

  04/08/2024

  Hello ****,? 

  We appreciate the opportunity to respond.? 

  We understand your frustration with the delays in processing your bills. We made a request for medical records in January and sent another request in March when we hadn’t heard back from either you or your provider. We finally received those medical records 4/3/24 and immediately processed your medical bills as soon as they were received.? 

  We do offer sharing provision for pre-existing conditions that are maintained and not actively receiving testing or treatment at the time of joining. However, per the CHM Guidelines, pre-existing conditions that are actively undergoing testing, treatment, and symptoms upon joining are ineligible for sharing. The medical records were requested because you started your membership as of 9/1/2024, and you received an ********* 9/13/2024. *********** are typically ordered when ****** issues are present, which is why we needed to verify that symptoms/treatment did not occur before your start date. Medical records verified that this ********* was ordered by your healthcare provider for an ongoing condition?less than one month prior to joining CHM, making your submission ineligible for sharing. ? 

  In regard to your wife’s difficulty at **** *******, there are laws in the state of Maryland that prevent health cost sharing ministries from providing upfront payment for members who need surgery. CHM would be happy to work with your wife to help her locate a high-quality provider through our new solution, Advantage Care Solution, and make sure she gets the care she needs. By using Advantage Care Solution, she would also get a $1,000 credit for her Personal Responsibility. You can contact them by emailing [email protected], and they’d be happy to help in any way they can.?? 

  We wish you well,? 
  CHM Staff? 

  Customer response

  04/09/2024

   I am rejecting this response because:

  
  I called your company before dropping **** to inquire about pre-existing conditions.
  I was told that as long as we were not being actively treated for a condition then we were fine.
  I was not treated for ******** or **** by anyone.
  I took over-the-counter ******** for 20+ years and had no issues at all.
  My new doc wanted to check to make sure all was good as a new patient…period.
  That’s why he ordered the procedure.
  He was not treating anything but doing due diligence on me as a new patient.
  
  You did not reach out to their office until I got involved…the 3rd time.
  Your organization is a disgrace to the word “Christian” and you are more like Lucy with the football and I’m Charlie Brown.
  You all should be ashamed of yourselves.
  
  As far as ***** ******* and all affiliated hospitals not accepting her as a return patient because we had CHM as our insurance goes...if you want to go to some unheard of health care provider for heart problems go ahead.  We switched back to **** so we could choose the best provider and not be told by a company like CHM where we can and can't go.  I'd rather pay high premiums and go to a preferred provider that we pick.

  
  

  Customer response

  04/09/2024

  BTW...keeping your clients hostage by telling them that they have to continue to pay monthly premiums in order to receive any money due from the prior year is just not right.  You string clients along for months on their claims and tell them they will receive NOTHING if they don't maintain current coverage.  Of course, you then deny their single claim they ever made 6 months later so you pay out nothing and keep the extra 3 monthly premiums to line your greedy pockets...nice!

  

  Business response

  04/15/2024

  Your medical records, provided by your healthcare provider, indisputably show that the testing performed two weeks after your CHM start date was ordered less than one month prior to joining, which is the CHM Guidelines definition of an active pre-existing condition. All medical bills are authorized according to the CHM Guidelines, and the CHM Guidelines are clear that active pre-existing conditions are ineligible for sharing. We are unable to share for medical bills that are ineligible according to our Guidelines in order to maintain consistency and fairness to all members.
  

  CHM does not tell its members where to receive healthcare—we have no provider network. CHM is a health cost sharing ministry, and as such, we reimburse medical bills. There are cases where we can provide upfront payment ahead of time (which is commonly required with surgery), but the state of Maryland, in particular, has legislation that doesn’t allow us to provide upfront payment.
  

  In these cases, we do provide guidance and tools to locate high-quality providers best suited for your particular needs. Even so, we will never force members to use specific providers—this is only an additional option we provide.

  We wish you well moving forward,
  CHM Staff

  Customer response

  04/16/2024

   I am rejecting this response because:
  

  The worst decision was dropping existing **** coverage due to cost and starting with CHM.  I talked to your representative about all of this but it doesn't matter at this point.  The fact that you hold your members captive once they decide to go back to their previous insurer by not paying one penny towards medical expenses incurred while active members UNLESS you continue to pay premiums is a disgrace.  I believed your BBB rating before starting with CHM.  I should have done more research by actually going to BBB and reading reviews but I did not.  That is a mistake I won't make again.  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  01/17/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We are getting hopeless with the inactivity of this company. They manage to get the money ( membership / premium ) out of our account on time , we pay them on time , but they are being awful on paying our claim . We had the procedure start 04/18/2023, have submitted all the paperwork some of it 3 times , and every time we do thif find a new slue pf paperwork for us to file . It is hurting our money affairs. . The last paperwork we uploaded a week or to ago , and that was the last thing they needed, and of course followed with a letter that they needed another 4 pieces of paper. I am almost feeling that this is a fraudulent organisation and they have no intend to do what is needed ! We are at our whits end, and every time we complete the request for paperwork there seems to be a new slue od paperwork demands . It is absolutely ridiculous. They keep requesting items we have already submitted !!!!! It feels like " stuff to keep us busy and for them not paying. We are paying oodles of money in interest ! We have submitted all bills immediately ( May-july 2023 ) as they became available to us. The amount owed is about $ ****

  

  Business response

  01/22/2024

  Hello ***,

  We're sorry for your frustrations with the sharing process, and I'm happy to provide some context as to why you're experiencing delays.

  Per our *** Guidelines, it is required that a Sharing Request Packet be filled out with all medical incidents. The required forms include a Sharing Request Form, an explanation as to how the incident took place, and a signed medical release form (HIPAA). Occasionally, we may request additional forms (not included in the Sharing Request Packet) be filled out, but this was not the case for your incident. 

  I reviewed your membership, and I saw we sent a request to fill out and submit a Sharing Request Packet in September. You submitted a Sharing Request Form, but the consent to release medical information (HIPAA) was not authorized. Without this release, CHM cannot process your bills (Guideline VI.B.2.a.3). We sent a second request for the Sharing Request Packet to be completed and submitted in December. At this moment, our system shows only the one incomplete submission. If you've been experiencing errors when attempting to submit your packet, we ask that you report these errors to us through our feedback survey (CHMinistries.org/how-are-we-doing).

  I have alerted our ************************** that you are experiencing issues submitting your forms, and someone will be following up with you shortly to help give guidance on the forms required and how to make sure we receive them.

  CHM strongly encourages members to give us a call when they have questions about their membership; our ************************** is always happy to help in any way possible. Please keep this in mind moving forward, especially if you experience issues with anything related to your membership.

  Blessings,
  CHM Staff

  Customer response

  01/23/2024

   Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

• Initial Complaint

  12/20/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have been a member of Christian Healthcare Ministries for the last seven years. This year, they denied every claim I submitted, which totals almost $25,000. They have acted in bad faith. I have continued to pay the monthly contribution to the ministry, in good faith that the bills I submitted will be covered. However, they have denied each and every one. They claim that the treatments I sought for Lyme disease were not peer reviewed; however, they are. *** sited as their reasoning for denial as the treatments have not been researched and published in mainstream, peer-reviewed medical journals (Relative Guideline: Guideline V.E.2, p. 32 of the 2023 *** Guidelines). After reading the *** guidelines, my attorney has advised me that the *** treatment is both peer reviewed and published by the **************************************************************** (*****************************************), and therefore, meets their program requirements. Also, Nexlin Medicine prescribed doxycycline, which is the most common treatment for Lyme disease, and their ******** of **** team denied that claim as well. I would like the ministry to reimburse me for the medical expenses I have incurred and submitted. I have a very large file that includes all medical bills submitted to ***. Please feel free to reach out to me via email to gain access. Thank you for your help!

  

  Business response

  12/28/2023

  Hello *******,

  We appreciate the opportunity to provide clarity to your concerns.

  You mentioned that we've denied every submission you've sent us, but this is inaccurate; there are a few submissions that have not fully been processed because we're missing important information. CHM asked that you submit Sharing Request Forms specific to your 2023 L Arm Laceration and your 2022 Retinal Tear incidents (Guideline VI.B.2.a).These requests were first made on 10/16/23 and 10/4/23, respectively. We did not receive these forms in response to our request. Additionally, it appears that you had an emergency room visit on 06/04/22 with a diagnosis of pedal edema. This, too, can be considered for sharing once we receive the proper Sharing Request Forms. We've sent multiple requests for these items, and as soon as we receive the necessary forms, the bills will be processing in accordance with CHM Guidelines.

  There are, however, other submissions that will not be eligible for reimbursement. A few bills/incidents did not meet the incident qualifying amount of $1,000 for your CHM Gold membership. Additionally, CHM cannot share the cost of your treatment for Lyme disease. Based on the itemized bills we have on file, your doctor began treating you on 08/02/22 with supportive oligonucleotide therapy (SOT) and a variety of supplements. The supplements, which are ineligible for sharing for any condition (Guideline V.C.1.b.2 and V.E.9), continued throughout the year. SOT was again administered on 08/24/23, along with LDN titration and ivermectin earlier in the year.Neither of these medications are considered part of a conventional medical approach to treating Lyme disease. The ****************** of ****** concluded that more research is needed to determine the effectiveness of SOT in treating Lyme disease. At present, this treatment is considered an experimental alternative approach.

  We must abide by our Guidelines in the processing of your Lyme disease incident; However, we do look forward to processing your eligible medical expenses upon receipt of your required forms.

  Blessings,
  CHM Staff

• Initial Complaint

  11/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have been a member of Christian healthcare ministries for over 3 years. I've been a gold member for over a year. This year, I met a threshold to be able to submit bills for the first time. They find all kinds of reasons apparently not to pay your bills. So there's really no value added for the money that they're asking for. The cherry on the top is that they've added this feature where if you don't turn them in a certain time frame, that time frame being unknown, that they won't pay. Under today's healthcare market? Good luck even having been billed and gotten a hold of receipts within whatever that time frame is. So basically, there's no benefit to joining the sharing ministry. It's a total scam.

  

  Business response

  11/14/2023

  Hello *****,
  

  Thank you for giving us an opportunity to respond to your concerns.
  

  Eligibility decisions are not made arbitrarily. All medical bills are processed according to our CHM Guidelines, which are provided to all members. We strongly encourage all members to be aware of any Guidelines that pertain to their individual needs and ask that any member who has questions about eligibility call our office so they understand exactly what is and is not eligible for sharing.
  

  Per our Guidelines, there is a $1,000 Qualifying Amount per incident on CHM Gold that needs to be met before medical bills can be considered for sharing. Because your incident did not meet the Qualifying Amount, it is ineligible for sharing. If you have questions about the Qualifying Amount, you can check out our glossary (CHMinistries.org/glossary).
  

  The timeline for submitting bills is also mentioned within our Guidelines. Section VI.B.1 states, Medical bills must be submitted within six months from the date of service. However, we understand that there are some circumstances beyond our members control and can offer a one-time exception for otherwise eligible medical bills.
  

  If you have additional questions or concerns about eligibility, you can call us at ************** or email us at *********************************.
  

  Blessings,
  CHM Staff

  

  Business response

  11/14/2023

  An additional note: If an incident doesn't meet the Qualifying Amount per incident, but the member sends in additional eligible bills that make the incident meet the Qualifying Amount per incident, the original bills can be re-authorized should all other Guidelines be met. 

• Initial Complaint

  09/25/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Do not ever use CHRISTIAN HEALTHCARE MINISTRIES!!!! They will not pay for any bill they say they will. They constantly raise their minimum that they will cover. Ours fluctuated from $500 to $1000 in about 3-4 months!!! Meaning if your bill was $999 or less you pay it without them helping at all!!! They told me last year they'd cover my procedures, and dropped the ball at the last minute leaving me devastated. PROMISING beforehand that they'd cover everything! They advised me last year to not do any surgeries that the had doctor advised! To view it as giving up my spot (life) for someone else who needs it more. WHAT?!!! When they MISUNDERSTOOD? and thought I had cancer, they were going to make me pay in a certain amount of money to see if their board would decided to cover any cancer treatments or not. What would I had done if this was a cancer treatment?!!! These are not Christian people! THESE PEOPLE are con artists! I was told by an oncologist that they told one of her cancer patients that they were too expensive for their plans! They was costing the company to much money. That’s insane! I can’t hear Jesus saying that! They WONT COVER A BILL that I had just received. (BECAUSE WE ARE CURRENTLY NOT MEMBERS AT THIS CURRENT MOMENT!!!!) Even though when the bill was billed we were members! Leaving me with a $14,000 bill due now..They advertise as a type of health insurance, but they are there to watch people suffer and at the worst case, die! ITS A SCAM! Apparently all that people are worth to them is a $ sign. Run far from them! They are an evil corporation hiding under the umbrella of a “ministry “! Between medical debt from them, and all we’ve paid for their so called “coverage “ we are out of pocket waaaay over $30,000, and still trying to figure out how to pay for most of that! They care nothing for human life… or the option to live it at its healthiest. They love to say…. Our books state… bla bla bla. But they know they make all that up as it suits them!

  

  Business response

  10/02/2023

  Hello ******,

  We hope that you will understand that had your bills been eligible for sharing under our Guidelines, they would most certainly have been shared, just as CHM has met the needs of its members for 41 years and has satisfied more than $10 billion of members’ eligible medical bills.

  When you called us about your procedure in February, the Member Services representative you spoke to misunderstood that you were asking about receiving an ineligible preventative procedure—they thought that you currently had a cancer diagnosis. However, regardless of that miscommunication, you were not given a promise of reimbursement; you were told that the procedure was typically eligible for current cancer patients—which was not applicable to you—and that we would review your bills upon receipt.

  When you called back in March for advice on scheduling the procedure, you clarified that this procedure was preventative in nature and you didn’t have cancer. You were informed at that point, before your surgery was ever scheduled, that it would be ineligible for sharing. All medical bills are processed according to the ministry’s Guidelines to ensure fairness and consistency for, and to, all members. If you had read the Guidelines, you would have seen that the preventative procedure you wanted was ineligible for sharing. You would have also seen our disclaimer: when you call in for eligibility questions, we can only give opinions—not decisions.

  Because of the misunderstanding, the case was reviewed, and it was determined that we couldn’t share for the procedure since you were informed prior to the procedure taking place. However, to ensure fairness due to the misunderstanding, we did take several steps to rectify it, such as:
  
  - Offering to share any pre-surgery expenses incurred between the time you first called in February through the date of the determination, and
  - Reimbursing your monthly payments for March and April 2023 during the two months you thought, though incorrectly, that the surgery could be shared because, as you stated, you would have cancelled your membership and looked elsewhere had you known it was ineligible

  When CHM offered to reimburse payments for those months, it meant your membership would end Feb. 28, 2023, and no further bills could be shared after this date (See Guideline II.G.1-2). This was explained to you prior to the reimbursement being made, and you stated that you had no further bills to submit.

  With respect to program changes, there have been revisions to members’ Personal Responsibility amounts; however, CHM also provides ways to reduce these amounts. We began informing members of program pricing changes using multiple emails, billing statements, Heartfelt Magazine editions, and more months before the date the changes went into effect. The reasons – inflation and historically high program usage – were clearly explained. That’s in keeping with our policy of transparency.

  Furthermore, at CHM there are no membership restrictions based on age, geographic location, or health history. We would not turn down a member, and neither is an eligible bill declined, because they are “too expensive.”

  If you would like to discuss this further, we invite you to please call us at (***) ***-****.

  Blessings,
  CHM Staff

  Customer response

  10/03/2023

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  It full of false claims. I was given 1 day to plan my surgery and have it because they back dated it to the date I called in to verify if I was covered. Then took that entire time to get back with me by phone. I love the pictures you are trying to paint for your companies face.??I absolutely loved that you sent out magazine’s, yet you never made it clear that “inflation was effecting you by hundreds of dollars monthly. So you gently hiked up our bills! How Godly of you! Like I stated… you are going to go back to your rules that are apparently printed with invisible ink. I’d love to hear why you wouldn’t cover one of our employees who had fluid on their heart? Was that not covered by your invisible rule book as well? Yeah…. Scam. I reject this entire response. You guys are playing with fire…. You’ll most likely be in some hot water. Keep trying to cover your rears, all the other companies who have done that no longer exist because they were found out to have been scammers as well. 

• Initial Complaint

  05/16/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We have been members for a few years and had great service until this. My wife gave birth in June of 2022. I submitted the medical bills on 10/9/22. I had 2 notification dated 12/20 and 4/24 requesting additional itemized bills. Per CMH guidelines you have 6 months to submit bills. I submitted as soon as I received them in October and they requested additional information on 12/20. That gives only 10 days during the holiday to obtain itemized bills to be submitted for them to be eligible. As you can see in the emails they stated they were in process since February 2nd. However they declined to pay $5700 and just now let us know we had to submit a letter of explanation since they were outside the window. I submitted the letter and they still declined it. I dont believe its fair and ethical to make us pay since February $200 + dollars a month just to be denied now. To be fair I believe we should be refunded the membership amount for the months of March-May and since they decline to pay the bill I can utilized that money to pay the hospital.

  

  Business response

  05/18/2023

  Hello ****,

  We appreciate the opportunity to respond to your concerns.

  Our six month submission guideline applies to the original submission date. In your case, even if the original bills you submitted didn't contain sufficient information, we would still honor the date you submitted them; those unitemized bills serve as a placeholder until we receive itemized bills. From what I can see on your membership, all of the bills originally submitted on 10/9/22 were fully processed and reimbursed once we received the itemized bills.

  However, there were new charges submitted on 2/2/2023 that did not meet the six month timeframe (these charges are unrelated to the charges submitted 10/9/22). From what I can see on the documents submitted, it looks like your provider didn't send you these bills until after the six months, so I contacted the maternity team and recommended that we extend grace on the rule and process them without a letter of explanation.

  As for the $5700, this charge was already reimbursed on a previous need, so the new need was marked ineligible for reasons of being a duplicate charge. We can supply you with the check number, the date the check was sent, and the date the check was cleared. If you would like to receive this information, please give us a call at ************ or email us at **************************.

  Blessings,
  CHM Staff

  Customer response

  05/18/2023

   Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

• Initial Complaint

  07/12/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have been a paying member of CHM since 2014/ 2015 and paid my dues with out any bills submitted. CHM does not pay for any preventive services, like MD visits for any "occurrence for less $500 or less. On 2021 I had to seek medical consults and treatments and incurred bills which I collected and submitted on May 4 2021. There is no customer service that you can speak with in CHM. Submission of bills is done online so there is no one to ask regarding the bills, not there is any response or feedback from CHM as to what is wrong. On line there is no updates available to see about what has been submitted. It has already been 70days. Thank you.

  

  Business response

  07/15/2022

  Hello ********,

  Thank you for reaching out with your concerns.

  We reviewed your membership, and our records show we sent multiple requests for additional information within 30 days of your submission. These requests would've been accessible through your ****** Portal, and you would've received email communication as well. 

  We would be happy to discuss what we need from you in order to continue the sharing process if you email us at ***************************** or give our ****** Services team a call at ***********************.

  Blessings,

  CHM Staff

  Customer response

  08/16/2022

  [BBB transcribed via duplicate complaint consumer filed. Reopened previous complaint, see attachments]

  I have submitted my online receipts. CHM has denied all. my submitted receipts. CHM is asking for receipts with a diagnosis code. I called all the doctors office, imaging, labs, etc and even the billing department so that the diagnosis code can be added and I was told that this was never added to the the receipt or invoice. Therefore what CHM is asking for the members is impossible. There is no one ( no customer service ) to speak with to explain what can be done. CHM just rejects the claim and refuses to pay. As of now I have submitted over $2000 and my bills keeps piling and I continue to pay my monthly membership to CHM. I was diagnosed with a chronic debilitating disease last year and I have been with CHM since 2014 and this is my first claim submitted.

  

  Business response

  08/16/2022

  Hello ********,

  CHM has not finished processing your bills since we are awaiting itemized information, and as such, they have not been marked as ineligible. Per our CHM Guidelines, we ask all of our members to obtain itemized bills from their providers. An itemized bill is NOT a receipt. An itemized bill includes the provider name, patient name, date of service, description of service, and total charges. 

  We have a Member Services department what would be happy to help walk you through what we need for your specific bills. However, per our records, you haven't attempted to call our Member Services department.

  If you want to discuss this further, you will need to either reach out to ********************* or give our Member Services team a call at ************, ext. ****.

  Blessings, 

  CHM Staff

• Initial Complaint

  05/04/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM) is a cost-sharing ministry that I use for my healthcare costs because I have no medical insurance. I pay a premium of $450/month for me and my daughter. I pay any upfront medical costs minus any discounts and then I am reimbursed for these costs within 90 days. CHM normally pays for an in-person visit to a clinic or hospital. However, CHM is now refusing to pay for video visits on 2/11/21, 3/4/21, 4/8/21 for a wellness med check for my daughter (HealthEast merged with Fairview so the billing was behind...I submitted for reimbursement in 12/21). Total of $958.50. The clinic was ONLY using zoom (video visits) for patients during covid...that is the ONLY reason we did not physically go into the office on these dates. I need to be reimbursed for these services given the special circumstances. Many other company made allowances during this time (auto insurance, student loans, etc.), yet this so-called Christian Ministry is refusing to make an allowance in this case. I would like your help in assisting me in this matter. Thank you.

  

  Business response

  05/05/2022

  Dear ******,
  
  We appreciate the opportunity to address your issues.
  

  As CHM isn’t insurance (members don’t pay “premiums,” for example), and as it’s not an insurance company, we want new members to be informed about CHM’s ministry. Before joining, each member is asked to familiarize themselves with our ministry’s Guidelines and to complete a Checklist of Understanding to ensure they understand CHM’s purpose and policies. The Guidelines are available to members before and after joining and we trust that members make themselves particularly aware of Guidelines that pertain to personal situations.
  

  We thank you for acknowledging that CHM has indeed reimbursed past medical costs; however, in the case you cite above, CHM Guidelines do not in this instance allow for cost sharing (https://chministries.org/resources/chm-guidelines/, Section V.E.23). The only exception to this is emergency room bills incurred to physically stabilize a patient, and your bills do not qualify as such.
  

  We also would appreciate it if you would respond to our request to you for medical records concerning bills in question.
  

  In fairness to all members, and to maintain their confidence in our actions on their behalf, we must follow the ministry’s Guidelines. We hope that you understand.
  

  Blessings,

  The CHM Staff

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