Sharing Guidelines
These guidelines introduce who we invite to join, the purpose behind our model, and how sharing works at Cowboy Christian.
It is a faith-based health cost sharing network. Membership is not an insurance policy, the sharing of costs between members is entirely voluntary, and no payment or sharing is guaranteed.
Who do we invite to join?
We invite Christian Americans who share our values and our way of life:
- Christian Americans who love our great United States of America.
- Practicing Christians who attend church regularly.
- Individuals and families looking for a like-minded community to support one another in paying their medical needs.
- People who believe in freedom, heritage, honesty, honor, character, integrity, family, and a deep faith in our Lord, who have kindness in their hearts and keep their word.
- Members who use and teach common sense and pursue a healthy lifestyle.
What is the purpose behind this business model?
The purpose of Cowboy Christian is to help Christian Americans save money on their healthcare bills and to lead them toward a more efficient and effective healthcare experience. For too long, the healthcare system has trended downward in both service and financial burden to the American people. Our purpose is to advance free-market principles for a better healthcare system, for Americans and for anyone who wishes to pay for care directly.
This is a service for payment. We provide value to our subscribers through safe, efficient, honest, and effective financial transactions, and we want you to receive healthcare at a fair price. Members commonly pay 50% to 90% less than they would through traditional insurance, because cash-pay patients often pay only a fraction of the billed charge. Our goal is to negotiate your bills down substantially on your behalf, adding downward pressure to an inefficient and overpriced system. We are pro-American, pro-physician, and pro-patient.
By removing the middleman and most administrators, we work to optimize both the financial and the medical outcome.
The most common cause of bankruptcy in America is healthcare, and we are working to change that.
Subscribers to Cowboy Christian are self-pay. Make it known whenever you receive care that you are paying cash. Cowboy Christian is not insurance. You may see the doctor you believe will help you best, at any hospital. Because subscribers are self-pay, the cash price is often far lower than the billed charge.
By joining Cowboy Christian, we stand together to negotiate healthcare at the best price. Our physician uses his years of experience and familiarity with the industry to build a curated list of healthcare facilities where both skill and price are strong. We update this information for our members as subscribers and their locations come online, which benefits the whole community. Through these resources, you can find solutions that include transparent pricing for many outpatient procedures.
Do I need to be an American citizen?
Membership is available to U.S. citizens. We are proud to serve our country and our fellow Americans.
What lifestyle do we ask of our members?
Health is closely tied to our mental and physical strength, and we are a common-sense company. To help minimize the risk of health events in our lives, we encourage our community of members to pursue a healthy lifestyle.
We encourage every member to work toward and maintain good overall health, including a healthy body weight, regular activity, and good nutrition.
Are prior medical conditions eligible for sharing?
Some prior and pre-existing medical conditions are subject to a waiting period, and certain conditions are not eligible for sharing. Eligibility is based on your medical history at the time you join.
Are prescription drugs eligible for sharing?
Prescription drugs are eligible for sharing per individual event for up to three months, for events that occur after joining. We encourage every member to focus on regaining health through a healthy lifestyle.
Do you help negotiate my bills?
Yes. We help you negotiate your bills directly with the hospital or clinic where you received care. As the patient, you have real influence in those conversations, and we bring experience and support to help you reach a fair price. Everyone in the community shares the same goal: reasonable prices for every healthcare event, and a better healthcare system for our country.
Is this insurance?
No. This is not insurance.
Is Cowboy Christian a faith-based company?
Yes. Cowboy Christian is a faith-based company rooted in Christian values. We believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins, and we want to support all of our Christian families, including single parents who are practicing Christians and attend church regularly. Members of our community are like-minded, and we want to help our Christian brothers and sisters reach their true potential by reducing the impact of a medical event.
Are payments guaranteed?
No. This is voluntary sharing, and no payments are guaranteed. Once a need is authorized, it is shared among members, and the members being asked to contribute are notified. Each event is eligible for sharing up to a $250,000 event cap, and members who add Catastrophic Plus (+$500/year) remove that cap so eligible sharing can exceed it. Accountability and transparency are at the core of how we operate.
It is your responsibility to make certain that all of your bills are paid.
Are elective cosmetic procedures eligible for sharing?
No. Elective cosmetic procedures that are not associated with trauma or cancer are not eligible for sharing. This service is primarily for catastrophic, necessary, and unexpected medical needs.
Can you help me find places to have surgery?
The best time to negotiate the price of a non-emergent surgery is before the surgery is performed.
One of our great strengths is an intimate understanding of the healthcare business and how to identify where to have complex procedures for the best outcome. A complex surgical decision, even one that means a short plane ride, can be well worth the investment for long-term results, both medically and financially. We want to help direct your complex care toward the best outcome at a reasonable price, and our resource page lists cash-pay surgery centers with excellent outcomes and highly vetted surgeons. A pillar of Cowboy Christian's purpose is to shift care toward free-market facilities built on a strong physician-patient relationship, excellent outcomes, and fair prices. That is what we work toward for every member.
How is pregnancy shared at Cowboy Christian? (Cowgirl Rider)
Pregnancy can be shared through the Cowgirl Rider, available on the Bullpen and Rodeo plans. The Cowgirl Rider includes care for the entire pregnancy and post-delivery follow-up. Pregnancy costs are shared only when the pregnancy occurs after joining. Once the child is discharged home from the hospital, the child must have their own subscription to continue sharing with Cowboy Christian.
Statement of Beliefs
All Cowboy Christian members affirm these shared beliefs upon enrollment:
- 1.I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.
- 2.I am committed to living a lifestyle consistent with Christian values, including abstaining from illegal drugs, tobacco products, and excessive use of alcohol.
- 3.I understand that Cowboy Christian, LLC (“Cowboy Christian”) is not insurance and does not guarantee payment of any medical expense.
- 4.I agree to share in the eligible medical needs of other members in accordance with the Sharing Guidelines.
- 5.I commit to contributing my monthly sharing amount on time and in full.
- 6.I understand that sharing is a voluntary act of Christian community, not a legal obligation, and that the network operates on faith and mutual trust.
- 7.I regularly attend a Christian church.
- 8.I am a United States citizen.
- 9.I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman.
Member Agreement Detail
The following detail is the substance of the member agreement you accept at sign-up. It explains what is eligible for sharing, how sharing is administered, and the rules that keep the community fair for everyone.
Detailed eligibility and exclusions
The following detail explains, in full, which conditions and expenses are eligible for sharing and which are not. Eligibility is always assessed against your medical history at the time you join.
- Pre-existing conditions are not eligible for sharing during the first 12 months of membership.
- Any condition requiring medication or hospitalization with follow-up longer than 3 months is not eligible for sharing.
- Cardiac, major vascular, or neurologic conditions must be stable for 5 years before a person is a candidate to join. Full medical history is required, and institutionally-bound patients are not candidates.
- Mental health care, drug addiction, and self-inflicted conditions are not eligible for sharing.
- Individuals with a history of transition-related surgery, as a patient or as the physician performing such procedures, are not eligible to apply.
- Elective cosmetic procedures that are not associated with trauma or cancer are not eligible for sharing.
- Expenses incurred before joining are not eligible for sharing.
Members are asked to pursue a healthy lifestyle, including working toward a healthy body weight. This is an encouragement, not a requirement to join.
How sharing works, in detail
Every membership pairs a $55 per month membership fee with your chosen sharing tier. The tiers are Bullpen (a $2,000 minimum), Rodeo (a $4,000 minimum), and Chaps (a $6,000 minimum).
Each event is eligible for sharing up to a $250,000 event cap. Members who add Catastrophic Plus for an additional $500 per year remove that cap so eligible sharing can exceed it.
Sharing is voluntary and not guaranteed. Once a need is authorized, it is assigned among members and the members being asked to contribute are notified. Sharing takes place within 15 days of the request. Review and funding of a request takes up to 14 days, with a goal of 7.
To request sharing, submit the itemized invoice for your care. Negotiate the bill first. We ask for invoices only, not full medical records.
If funds are insufficient to meet a need, the need may be prorated for up to 3 months and then reviewed.
During a trust and validation period, the first two months of subscription and sharing commitments go to administration.
Payments and staying current
- If you miss a payment, bring the subscription current within one month or it may close.
- To rejoin after a subscription closes, bring the previous subscription current.
- Late sharing may incur late fees.
- Cowboy Christian may cancel a subscription if the membership fee or sharing is not completed by the end of the month.
State rules and accounts
In ACA states, including California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington, D.C., required minimum essential coverage must be used first. Only the remaining eligible expenses are submitted for sharing.
HSA funds are not a Cowboy Christian payment method. It is your choice whether to apply HSA funds to your bills.
Pregnancy sharing, in detail (Cowgirl Rider)
- The Cowgirl Rider is available on the Bullpen and Rodeo plans only.
- The pregnancy must occur after joining to be eligible for sharing.
- The event is the pregnancy plus the one-month follow-up.
- The newborn must have their own subscription within 30 days of discharge.
- Each pregnancy carries a $3,000 added subscriber requirement before sharing begins.
- If the newborn needs a NICU stay, Cowboy Christian asks to be part of the hospital negotiations.
Important Disclosures
Cowboy Christian, LLC (“Cowboy Christian”) is not an insurance company and does not guarantee the payment of any medical bills. Membership does not constitute an insurance policy.
Sharing of medical expenses is entirely voluntary among members. While Cowboy Christian facilitates the sharing process, no member is obligated to share, and no member is guaranteed that their medical expenses will be shared.
Members should not cancel any existing health insurance policy in reliance on membership in Cowboy Christian without first consulting with a licensed insurance professional.
This page reflects the member agreement you accept at sign-up. Full details, including eligibility, exclusions, and how sharing is administered, are provided in the member agreement during the sign-up process.