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Questions Frequently Asked About Healthy Nomads
What is Healthy Nomads?
Healthy Nomads is a non-profit healthcare solution designed by and for people who travel frequently. We combine Medical Cost Sharing, Virtual Primary Care, and Essential Savings on everyday healthcare needs to create a comprehensive solution.
Our members are part of a larger 42,000+ member Medical Cost Sharing Community which helps its members in the event of unexpected medical emergencies, illnesses, injuries, pregnancies, and more.
With Healthy Nomads you are always empowered and free, but never alone.
What are the benefits of joining Healthy Nomads?
So glad you asked! As a Healthy Nomads member you can enjoy all of this:
- Medical Cost Sharing for unexpected illnesses and injuries – both big and small.
- Medical bill negotiation services and price transparency
- Complete healthcare freedom: No networks – No referrals
- Your own personal Primary Care Physician whom you can access from anywhere in the country
- 30-80+% cost savings when compared to traditional health insurance premiums
- Discounts on dental, vision, hearing, prescriptions, alternative medicine, and more
- Discounted lab work, MRIs and more
- Telehealth and unlimited Telehealth Counseling services
- Access to our Healthy Living content and discounted health/life coaching sessions
- A community that cares and shares the love of travel!
- Members can also upgrade their membership (+$20/mo per person) to include $0 in-person office/urgent care visits, $0 prescriptions, $0 lab testing, $0 virtual visits, and $0 Calm wellness subscription.
How are large medical expenses handled?
Our Medical Cost Sharing Community shares with over 40,000 members which have successfully shared over $22.4 million in medical bills so far in 2022 alone. Our Medical Cost Sharing Community is designed to efficiently and effectively manage very large medical expenses for our Members.
When you join Healthy Nomads you choose an Initial Unshareable Amount (IUA) of either $1000, $2500, or $5000. Members are responsible for their IUA before a medical Need can be shared with the community. You do not pay your IUA to the community and you do not pay it unless you have a medical Need you want to share with the community that exceeds your IUA amount.
What is an IUA?
When you sign up with Healthy Nomads/Zion HealthShare, you’ll select an Initial Unshareable Amount (IUA). These amounts range from $1000 to $5000. If you have a Medical Need that can be shared with our Community, this is the amount that you’ll be responsible for and the remainder of the costs will be shared back with you so you can pay your bills in full.
Initial Unshareable Amounts are per Need, so it is important to note that you could be responsible for more than one IUA in a year. But we also know that bad years can happen, so no member household will pay more than 3 IUAs in a 12 month period. So if you are planning your yearly finances, a good rule of thumb is to multiply your IUA x3 and have this amount set aside for worst case scenario.
What is a Need?
When Members incur unexpected medical expenses there is a medical Need. A Need is one or more medical expenses caused by a single, new injury, illness, or pregnancy. Some examples are a broken bone or cancer.
Members send proof of their medical expenses through our partner’s online portal. These costs are evaluated according to the Medical Cost Sharing Guidelines, negotiated down to ensure the lowest cost, and amounts that exceed the Initial Unshareable Amount are shared back from the Community to the Member so they can pay their bills.
You may also utilize Zion HealthShare’s Medical Advocacy service to pre-negotiate a medical bill and even have it pre-paid.
What is Medical Cost Sharing?
Medical Cost Sharing is an arrangement whereby Members agree to share medical expenses through an act of voluntary giving.
It is NOT insurance. It is not licensed or registered by any insurance board or department. It does not assess applicants’ health risks, because the Community is not assuming financial liability for any other Member’s risk.
Unlike insurance, the focus of the Medical Cost Sharing membership is on how our Members help one another with their immediate needs, so they are never alone when it matters most.
Is Medical Cost Sharing a new idea?
No. Medical Cost Sharing traces its origins back many years to the Amish and Mennonite communities, and began expanding in the 1980s with the advent of large, Christian-based health care sharing ministries. They became increasingly popular when The Affordable Care Act was implemented, making health insurance affordability and portability difficult for millions of Americans.
The concept has since evolved to include financial technology-enabled, ethically-aligned Medical Cost Sharing communities, but the purpose remains the same: for the Community to help relieve the burden of the individual in their time of need.
Healthy Nomads and our partner Zion HealthShare are not ministries and do not exclude people based on religion.
What medical needs are considered eligible for sharing?
New illnesses, new injuries, and new pregnancies that occur after your Membership begins are eligible for sharing. If you have a medical condition that existed before your membership begins then Needs associated with that medical condition may also be eligible for sharing on a limited basis.
There are no yearly or lifetime maximums/caps on the financial amount that can be shared back with you!
That’s truly peace of mind, especially for costly diagnoses, like cancer.
* Some limitations may apply, contact us with any questions.
Are there annual or lifetime limits or caps on Medical Cost Sharing?
No. There are no lifetime maximums, monthly caps, or other limitations on how much funding can be shared with a Member for eligible medical needs.
We know that new injuries or diagnoses, like cancer, are daunting, but with Healthy Nomads/Zion HealthShare, the financial aspect will be one less thing to worry about because our Community will continue to share with you as you need care.
Where can I read the Membership Guidelines?
You can read the complete Medical Cost Sharing Membership Guidelines at our partner Zion HealthShare’s website here.
Who is Zion HealthShare and why are you partnered with them?
Zion HealthShare is a Utah nonprofit corporation with administrative offices in St. George, Utah. Zion HealthShare provides the framework and administrative support for our medical cost sharing membership program.
We partnered with Zion HealthShare because they have an excellent reputation and a well-established community of over 40,000 members. When you join Healthy Nomads you join this community which has already shared over $22.4 Million in member medical bills in 2022.
What is Direct (or Virtual) Primary Care?
Direct (or Virtual) Primary Care means you have access to your personal primary care doctor on an appointment basis. This doctor, your doctor, can help manage chronic medical conditions, prescribe medications, and generally advise you on a course of healthcare action.
Every Healthy Nomads membership includes a Virtual Primary Care benefit from our partner HealthTap. Members pay $39 for virtual primary care visits and $59 for virtual urgent care visits.
Members also have the option to upgrade to Healthy Nomads PLUS (+$20/mo per person) which will add $0 in-office Direct Primary Care visits at over 6000 locations, $0 prescriptions, $0 lab testing, $0 virtual visits, and $0 Calm wellness subscription.
Does membership exempt me from the ACA requirements?
The federal tax penalty for not having Minimum Essential Coverage was eliminated in 2019. However, some states like CA may have their own tax penalty.
Healthy Nomads is not a substitute for insurance as defined by the Affordable Care Act and therefore is not subject to the regulatory requirements or consumer protections of your particular state’s Insurance Code or Statutes.
Who can join Healthy Nomads?
When you join Healthy Nomads and subsequently enroll in Zion HealthShare’s Medical Cost Sharing program you will be asked to read and agree to their Principles of Membership.
Membership expires when an individual reaches the age of 65. Newborns who are not born under an eligible maternity need request have a seven-day waiting period before they can be added to the family’s membership.
You must be a US citizen to join Healthy Nomads.
Why is Healthy Nomads/Zion HealthShare so much less expensive than health insurance?
Healthy Nomads as well as our Medical Cost Sharing partner Zion HealthShare is not-for-profit, not an insurance company, and does not have share holders. These are key reasons why our healthcare solution is 30-60+% lower than traditional health insurance premiums.
Can I just join Zion HealthShare Direct?
In the interest of being completely transparent, Yes you can join Zion HealthShare Direct at this link. Just keep in mind that joining Zion HealthShare Direct will mean you pay a higher membership rate with them and your membership will not include Healthy Nomad’s Essential Savings package nor our Virtual Primary Care benefit.
Important: Having our Direct Virtual Primary Care benefit is what qualifies you for the significantly discounted DPC Membership rates with Zion HealthShare.
Do I have to pay for other people's medical needs?
No. Members are not involved in the medical needs-paying process. This is handled by our parter Zion HealthShare.
What are my out-of-pocket costs?
All Healthy Nomads members pay a monthly membership fee. Go here to view complete membership pricing details.
If you have a medical need you will need to meet your Initial Unshareable Amount (IUA) before needs are shareable under your Medical Cost Sharing benefit.
For other out of pocket costs go here to view Virtual Primary Care details and here to view Essential Savings details.
Where is the Network?
There is no network! You may use your Medical Cost Sharing membership benefits anywhere you like.
Some of the Essential Savings benefits do utilize a nationwide network of participating providers in order to maximize your discounts on things like dental, vision, labs and prescriptions. You can view specifics under each benefit here.
When can I enroll?
Anytime! We are open to new enrollments all year long.
How about today?