Making an Impact: How a Health Share Saved My Family Thousands
- Utah Avenue Insurance
- Oct 13
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 14
Introduction
Hi, my name is Jeff Street, and I want to share how a healthcare company called Impact Health Sharing has saved my family thousands of dollars each year.
I’ve been self-employed for 25 years, which means I’ve always been responsible for paying for my own healthcare. For many years, I didn’t even have insurance — I was young, healthy, and thought nothing would happen to me. Luckily, nothing did.
But once I got married, I knew it was time to get coverage. Like many families, we spent a lot on health insurance over the years — until about four years ago, when someone introduced me to Impact Health Sharing. That quote changed everything.
What Is a Health Share?
A health share (or healthcare sharing program) is not traditional insurance. It’s a community of people who share medical expenses with one another. Each member pays a set monthly amount, and when a member has medical costs, the community helps pay those bills.
This model has existed for over 40 years through well-known programs like Medi-Share, Christian Healthcare Ministries, and Samaritan Ministries. Impact Health Sharing is one of the newest and most modern versions of this concept.
How Impact Works
When my family joined Impact, our monthly cost dropped to about $364 — and our combined deductible was cut in half. At first, it sounded too good to be true. But as I learned more, I realized it was legitimate, transparent, and built for families like mine.
Impact isn’t insurance, but it functions very similarly:
You can visit any doctor, anywhere in the country (no network restrictions).
No open enrollment period — you can join any time of year.
Members receive 24/7 free telemedicine and an annual wellness visit at no cost.
There’s also a $150 lab credit per year and access to discounted prescriptions, dental, and vision services.
Impact even offers a concierge service that will prepay for your wellness visit if your provider doesn’t accept them yet — something I’ve never seen from a traditional insurance company.
Health & Wellness Rewards
Impact rewards members who take care of their health. You can earn up to $150 per month in health and wellness credits to offset your deductible (called a Primary Responsibility Amount).
Qualifying expenses include:
Gym memberships and fitness classes
Acupuncture, massage, and supplements
Holistic and naturopathic care
Direct primary care and healthy meal plans
For my family, this essentially “buys down” our deductible every month — a great incentive to stay proactive about our health.
Who Is Impact For?
Impact Health Sharing works best for:
Individuals and families who are healthy or fairly healthy
Self-employed professionals and small business owners
Seniors with Medicare Parts A and B (through Impact for Seniors)
Small businesses with fewer than 50 employees
Anyone can apply, but those with chronic or ongoing conditions may find traditional insurance a better fit. Preexisting conditions are not shareable for the first 36 months, with exceptions for well-controlled high blood pressure and cholesterol.
What Happens When You Get Care
Impact uses reference-based pricing to negotiate fair market rates for medical care.
Members hand their Impact card to the provider, who can bill Impact directly using the payer ID on the card.
Impact typically pays providers within 15 days, often faster than insurance companies.
If a provider won’t bill Impact, members can pay cash, then submit the bill for quick reimbursement.
Impact’s transparency is one of my favorite features — members can log in to their dashboard to see exactly where their money goes, which families they’ve helped, and how the community is performing financially.
Real-Life Examples
Emergency Room Visit: A $2,500 bill was negotiated down to $164.98.
Tonsil Surgery: Two children’s hospital bills totaling $120,000 were reduced to about $12,000 — and the family only paid around $1,200 after cost sharing.
Cancer Treatment: A $70,000 bill was reduced to $15,000 — covered completely by the Impact community.
Impact currently has over 18,000 members, more than $12 million in financial reserves, and has shared over $13 million in medical bills in the past year. Members can even send messages or prayers to the families they’ve helped, adding a personal, community-driven touch.
Transparency & Technology
Impact uses modern technology to allocate funds instantly and transparently. Members can track:
Total community reserves
Bills paid
Administrative costs
Current membership numbers
This open-book model builds trust — and proves that health sharing can truly work for real families.
Closing Thoughts
Impact Health Sharing has been a blessing for my family and could be for yours, too. It’s an affordable, transparent, and community-driven approach to healthcare — and it’s growing fast because it works.
If you’re self-employed, a small business owner, or simply looking for a better alternative to traditional insurance, it’s worth a serious look.
God bless, and here’s to making an impact — for your family and others.
