An increasing number of Christians are joining organizations called healthcare sharing ministries, in which members are required to help  cover each others’ major medical costs. Soaring premiums and deductibles are helping to fuel this phenomenon.

The New York Times notes that “While such nonprofit ministries have been around for decades, interest in them has grown since the Affordable Care Act passed in 2010, largely because the law exempts members from the requirement to have health insurance or pay a yearly fine.”