Last Week Tonight host John Oliver blasted healthcare cost-sharing ministries on his show, telling viewers that despite boasting cost savings and faith-based coverage, they are simply "not health insurance."
Cost-sharing ministries grew significantly following exemptions provided by the ACA, and allow largely-religious member bases to pool funds to pay each others' medical bills. While some members are satisfied with their participation in the ministries, they aren't required to cover healthcare costs or follow ACA regulations.
On the show, Mr. Oliver primarily criticized the lack of contractual obligation to receiving financial support following care. The "contract written on your hearts" mentality, he said, is an empty promise considering how many ministries can deem claims ineligible arbitrarily.
He also founded his own cost-sharing ministry on the back of his parody church, Our Lady of Perpetual Health. Mr. Oliver described the founding as "scarily easy to do."
The Florida-based ministry's website allows residents to join for a small fee, but is blanketed with parody highlighting the lack of actual insurance among health-sharing ministries.
Mr. Oliver ended his messaging by taking a strong stance on the country's approach to healthcare as a whole, claiming that the rise of cost-sharing ministries is largely due to a desire for more affordable healthcare.