HELPcare Clinic has an affiliate relationship with Zion HealthShare, a nonprofit medical cost sharing community. HELPcare Clinic membership and Zion HealthShare can work well together: HELPcare Clinic provides your everyday primary care, while Zion HealthShare is designed to help members share eligible larger or unexpected medical expenses.

HELPcare Basic and Premier members are eligible for a reduced Zion HealthShare rate through our affiliate relationship.

To take advantage of this special rate, email memberships@helpcare.health to request the affiliate enrollment link.

For more information about Zion HealthShare, continue reading below or visit zionhealthshare.org.

What Zion HealthShare is (and is not)

Zion HealthShare was founded in 2019 in St. George, Utah, near Zion National Park. It describes itself as an affordable, community-driven alternative to traditional health insurance: members submit monthly contributions, and the community shares eligible medical needs according to published Member Guidelines.

Important distinctions:

• Zion HealthShare is a benevolent medical cost-sharing organization, not an insurance company.
• Membership is not a substitute for a health insurance policy.
• Zion cannot guarantee that every eligible expense will be shared in full. If the community cannot share all or part of a request, the member remains financially responsible.
• There is typically no open enrollment window the way there is for Marketplace insurance; people can usually start when they are ready, subject to Zion's eligibility rules.
• Hospitals and providers may treat a health share differently than insurance (for example, asking for payment up front, with the member seeking sharing or reimbursement afterward). That is normal for cost-sharing ministries and worth planning for.

For the current rules, always read Zion's Member Guidelines on zionhealthshare.org. Guidelines change; this page does not replace them.

Principles of Membership (no faith statement required)

Unlike some Christian health care sharing ministries, Zion HealthShare does not require a statement of Christian faith. It welcomes members of all faiths. Members do, however, affirm Principles of Membership. In short, those principles ask members to:

• Believe that a community of ethical, health-conscious people can share one another's eligible health care costs.
• Acknowledge that Zion affiliates itself with, and considers itself accountable to, a higher power — while welcoming people of all faiths.
• Understand that Zion is not an insurance entity and cannot guarantee payment of medical expenses.
• Practice good health measures, abstain from illicit or illegal drugs, and avoid excessive alcohol use.
• Care for their families and treat others with respect.
• Agree to Zion's dispute-resolution process (mediation, then binding arbitration if needed).

Zion also has eligibility rules (for example, individual membership is generally for people under age 65 who live in the United States or Puerto Rico, with state-specific limits). Confirm current eligibility in the Member Guidelines before you enroll.

How medical cost sharing works at Zion

Two terms matter most:

Need (or medical need). Similar to what people think of as a "claim" a need is an incident that requires medical attention. An accident that leads to an ER visit, imaging, surgery, and related physical therapy can all fall under the same need.

Initial Unshareable Amount (IUA). This is the amount you are responsible for on a given need before eligible costs may be shared by the community. It is not the same as an insurance deductible: a typical deductible resets once per year, while an IUA is tied to a need. Separate needs can each have their own IUA. Zion also limits how many IUAs a household must meet in a rolling 12-month period.

Zion offers more than one IUA level. A higher IUA generally means a lower monthly contribution. After the IUA for a need is met, eligible remaining expenses for that need may be shared under the guidelines — there is no coinsurance-style percentage layered on top in the way many insurance plans work.

Do not rely on outdated dollar amounts. IUA options, monthly contribution rates, waiting periods, and what is or is not shareable are set by Zion and change over time. Check:

• Member Guidelines
• Membership / pricing pages
• DPC Member Rate Calculator if you are pairing with a direct primary care clinic

Pre-membership (pre-existing) conditions, maternity rules, preventive add-ons, and lists of expenses that are ineligible for sharing are also in those guidelines. Read them before you decide.

Why direct primary care and a sharing ministry often pair well

Direct primary care (DPC) is built for everyday care: visits, ongoing relationships, many labs and medications depending on the plan — without billing insurance for those services. A health care sharing ministry is built for larger, unexpected medical expenses that fall outside what a primary care clinic provides (hospital stays, major procedures, many specialty bills, and similar).

The split is simple:

	HELPcare Clinic (DPC)	Zion HealthShare (sharing ministry)
Role	Everyday primary care	Help sharing eligible large / unexpected bills
What it is	Medical clinic membership	Nonprofit cost-sharing community
Insurance?	No	No
Guarantees payment of bills?	N/A (you pay membership / published prices)	No — sharing is not a guarantee

Going a year without submitting a sharing need is a success, not a waste: it usually means primary care and prevention did their job.

HELPcare Clinic has an affiliate relationship with Zion HealthShare. Zion's Essential membership path is designed for companies and organizations, including DPC practices and their patients, and often prices differently than a standalone Direct membership because day-to-day primary care is already handled through the clinic. Optional Zion add-ons (such as preventive sharing, pharmacy discounts, or virtual care) are separate and some overlap with what a DPC membership already includes, so compare carefully.

For current Essential / DPC contribution amounts, use Zion's DPC Member Rate Calculator. This page does not quote share amounts or claim a fixed percentage discount; those figures change.

How HELPcare membership fits

HELPcare Clinic provides relationship-based primary care in Austin, Rochester, and Albert Lea, Minnesota. Membership options:

• Basic — $99 per adult / $49 per child per month
• Premier — $149 per adult / $99 per child per month

Membership dues are charged for adults and only the first two children. All three options include the Online Bundle. HELPcare does not accept insurance or government payments for membership care. Learn more about the model on What is direct primary care?.

With HELPcare for primary care and Zion (or another sharing ministry, or an insurance plan) for larger needs, you are stacking two different tools — not buying "insurance twice." HELPcare's goal is consistent, affordable primary and preventive care so you need fewer specialty and hospital visits over time. That does not eliminate the need for a plan that addresses catastrophic expenses.

A note on HSAs

People who belong to a health care sharing ministry usually cannot open a Health Savings Account (HSA). Do not assume you can combine Zion membership and an HSA.

Separately, some people who have a qualifying high-deductible health plan (for example on MNsure) and an HSA may be able to pay HELPcare membership dues from that HSA under current IRS rules for direct primary care. That is a different setup from pairing DPC with a sharing ministry. If you are shopping insurance + HSA + HELPcare, ask a tax or benefits advisor and see HELPcare's HSA / MNsure resources — do not treat this Zion page as HSA advice.

How to get started

1. Decide whether a sharing ministry fits you. Read Zion's Principles of Membership and Member Guidelines. Confirm eligibility (age, residency, lifestyle commitments, pre-membership condition rules).
2. Compare Zion's current options. Use the DPC Member Rate Calculator if you are a HELPcare member or plan to become one. Confirm IUA level, household tier, and any optional add-ons.
3. Join HELPcare (or confirm your existing membership) on Basic, or Premier.
4. Ask HELPcare memberships about the Zion affiliate path so you enroll on the correct Essential / DPC track if that is what Zion offers for clinic members at the time.
5. Keep copies of guidelines and bills. Sharing ministries require more member involvement than many insurance plans (itemized bills, timelines, presenting as self-pay when appropriate).

Questions about pairing HELPcare with Zion HealthShare? Contact Cameron at Zion HealthShare at cameronmorris@zionhealthshare.org.

For the original overview this page is based on, see our blog post: Health Care Cost-Sharing Programs: Zion HealthShare.

Compare plans: Basic | Premier
Zion resources: zionhealthshare.org | Member Guidelines | DPC rates

FAQ

Is Zion HealthShare health insurance?

No. Zion HealthShare is a nonprofit medical cost-sharing community. It is not an insurance company, membership is not an insurance policy, and Zion cannot guarantee payment of medical expenses. Members remain responsible for unpaid bills.

Does Zion require a Christian statement of faith?

No. Zion does not require a statement of Christian faith and welcomes members of all faiths. Members must still affirm its Principles of Membership (healthy living commitments, understanding that Zion is not insurance, and related standards). See the current Principles in Zion's Member Guidelines.

How does Zion HealthShare work with HELPcare Clinic?

HELPcare covers everyday primary care through a clinic membership. Zion is designed to help share eligible larger medical expenses. HELPcare has an affiliate relationship with Zion, and Zion's Essential membership path is built for DPC practices and their patients. Current contribution amounts come from Zion, not from this page — use Zion's DPC rate calculator or ask HELPcare memberships.

What is an Initial Unshareable Amount (IUA)?

The IUA is what you pay toward a given medical need before eligible remaining expenses may be shared. It is per need, not a once-a-year insurance deductible. Zion limits how many IUAs a household must meet in a rolling 12-month period. Exact dollar options change — check Zion's current guidelines.

Can I have Zion HealthShare and a Health Savings Account (HSA)?

Usually no. People in health care sharing ministries typically cannot open an HSA. If you want an HSA, you generally need a qualifying high-deductible health plan instead of a sharing ministry. That is a different pairing from DPC + Zion. Ask a tax advisor about your situation.