Contact: Jen Retallick, 610-584-1096 ext. 100, Media@HamiltonStrategies.com

PEORIA, Ill., Dec. 12, 2016 /Christian Newswire/ -- With a new year on the horizon, many Americans are once again facing difficult health care decisions because of the health insurance requirement still in force under the federal Affordable Care Act. This is especially true as the open enrollment deadline of Jan. 31, 2017, is just around the corner.

Samaritan Ministries International (samaritanministries.org), with 64,000 members (210,000 individuals), has practiced health care sharing through a biblical lens for 22 years. Its focus has been Christians helping other Christians with their needs as the Bible instructs in Galatians 6:2, which says, "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (ESV).

"Every day we hear from people who are in a health care crisis of sorts, especially now during open enrollment," said Anthony Hopp, Samaritan's vice president for external relations. "Samaritan Ministries works to bring health care back to Biblical basics, applying the definition of Biblical community to health care. Our members share medical burdens with one another on a monthly basis, which means about $23 million is sent from household to household. Why do we do this? Because Jesus told us to love one another."

Hopp noted that health care sharing ministries like Samaritan are exempt from the individual mandate under the Affordable Care Act. Members of these ministries who share each other's health care needs are not required to pay any penalties, as this approach to health care satisfies the federal requirement that individuals purchase insurance or pay a penalty.

He added that Christians may choose a health care sharing ministry like Samaritan for a variety of reasons, such as the Biblical teachings of trusting in God, caring for fellow believers, and desiring to obey Jesus' commands to love one another, which includes sharing each other's burdens.

A Samaritan Ministries member family from Denver says they are "grateful to have Samaritan Ministries."

"It shows our family that Christians do take care of each other. And we serve an awesome God who heals us. We are in prayer always for our Samaritan family."

Today, Samaritan Ministries members from all 50 states and several foreign countries are directly sharing their health care needs from household to household. Those with health care burdens also receive notes of encouragement and prayers from the Samaritan Ministries member community.

For more information, visit www.samaritanministries.org, or follow the ministry on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.