{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/38.2-6300.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/38.2-6300.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/38.2-6300.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/38.2-6300.html"}],"law_id":362949,"edition_id":2,"section_id":362949,"structure_id":51808,"section_number":"38.2-6300","catch_line":"Definition","history":"2008, c. 232.","full_text":"As used in this chapter, “health care sharing ministry” means a health care cost sharing arrangement among individuals of the same religion based on their sincerely held religious beliefs, which arrangement is administered by a non-profit organization that has been granted an exemption from federal income taxation pursuant to \u00a7 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and that:\n\n1\n\nLimits its membership to individuals who are of a similar faith;\n\n2\n\nActs as an organizational clearinghouse for information about members who have financial or medical needs and matches them with members with the present ability to assist those with financial or medical needs, all in accordance with the organization’s criteria;\n\n3\n\nProvides for the financial or medical needs of a member through payments directly from one member to another. The requirements of this subdivision 3 may be satisfied by a trust established solely for the benefit of members, which trust is audited annually by an independent auditing firm;\n\n4\n\nProvides amounts that members\/subscribers may contribute with (i) no assumption of risk or promise to pay among the members and (ii) no assumption of risk or promise to pay by the organization to the members;\n\n5\n\nProvides written monthly statements to all members that list the total dollar amount of qualified needs submitted to the organization by members for their contribution; and\n\n6\n\nProvides in substance the following written disclaimer on or accompanying all promotional documents distributed by or on behalf of the organization, including applications and guideline materials:\n\t\t\t“Notice:\n\n\t\t\tThis publication is not insurance, and is not offered through an insurance company. Whether anyone chooses to assist you with your medical bills will be totally voluntary, as no other member will be compelled by law to contribute toward your medical bills. As such, this publication should never be considered to be insurance. Whether you receive any payments for medical expenses and whether or not this publication continues to operate, you are always personally responsible for the payment of your own medical bills.”\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1352295,"text":"As used in this chapter, “health care sharing ministry” means a health care cost sharing arrangement among individuals of the same religion based on their sincerely held religious beliefs, which arrangement is administered by a non-profit organization that has been granted an exemption from federal income taxation pursuant to \u00a7 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and that:","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"next_prefix":"1"},"1":{"id":1352296,"text":"Limits its membership to individuals who are of a similar faith;","type":"section","prefixes":["1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"1","prefix_anchor":"1","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":"2"},"2":{"id":1352297,"text":"Acts as an organizational clearinghouse for information about members who have financial or medical needs and matches them with members with the present ability to assist those with financial or medical needs, all in accordance with the organization’s criteria;","type":"section","prefixes":["2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"2","prefix_anchor":"2","level":1,"prior_prefix":"1","next_prefix":"3"},"3":{"id":1352298,"text":"Provides for the financial or medical needs of a member through payments directly from one member to another. The requirements of this subdivision 3 may be satisfied by a trust established solely for the benefit of members, which trust is audited annually by an independent auditing firm;","type":"section","prefixes":["3"],"prefix":"3","entire_prefix":"3","prefix_anchor":"3","level":1,"prior_prefix":"2","next_prefix":"4"},"4":{"id":1352299,"text":"Provides amounts that members\/subscribers may contribute with (i) no assumption of risk or promise to pay among the members and (ii) no assumption of risk or promise to pay by the organization to the members;","type":"section","prefixes":["4"],"prefix":"4","entire_prefix":"4","prefix_anchor":"4","level":1,"prior_prefix":"3","next_prefix":"5"},"5":{"id":1352300,"text":"Provides written monthly statements to all members that list the total dollar amount of qualified needs submitted to the organization by members for their contribution; and","type":"section","prefixes":["5"],"prefix":"5","entire_prefix":"5","prefix_anchor":"5","level":1,"prior_prefix":"4","next_prefix":"6"},"6":{"id":1352301,"text":"Provides in substance the following written disclaimer on or accompanying all promotional documents distributed by or on behalf of the organization, including applications and guideline materials:\n\t\t\t“Notice:\t\t\tThis publication is not insurance, and is not offered through an insurance company. Whether anyone chooses to assist you with your medical bills will be totally voluntary, as no other member will be compelled by law to contribute toward your medical bills. As such, this publication should never be considered to be insurance. Whether you receive any payments for medical expenses and whether or not this publication continues to operate, you are always personally responsible for the payment of your own medical bills.”","type":"section","prefixes":["6"],"prefix":"6","entire_prefix":"6","prefix_anchor":"6","level":1,"prior_prefix":"5"}},"ancestry":[{"id":51808,"edition_id":2,"name":"Health Care Sharing Ministries","identifier":"63","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":65,"parent_id":51644,"metadata":{"child_laws":2,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:49:13","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:33:22","permalink":{"id":1445303,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51808,"identifier":"63","token":"38.2\/63","url":"\/38.2\/63\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":51644,"edition_id":2,"name":"Insurance","identifier":"38.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":88,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":1890,"child_structures":173},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:45:30","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:32:55","permalink":{"id":1437663,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51644,"identifier":"38.2","token":"38.2","url":"\/38.2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":362949,"structure_id":51808,"section_number":"38.2-6300","catch_line":"Definition","url":"\/38.2-6300\/","token":"38.2\/63\/38.2-6300","metadata":false},{"id":362950,"structure_id":51808,"section_number":"38.2-6301","catch_line":"Health care sharing ministry not providing insurance","url":"\/38.2-6301\/","token":"38.2\/63\/38.2-6301","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":362950,"structure_id":51808,"section_number":"38.2-6301","catch_line":"Health care sharing ministry not providing insurance","url":"\/38.2-6301\/","token":"38.2\/63\/38.2-6301","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/38.2-6300\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 2008. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 232<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1445305,"object_type":"law","relational_id":362949,"identifier":"38.2-6300","token":"38.2\/63\/38.2-6300","url":"\/38.2-6300\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/38.2-6300\/","token":"38.2\/63\/38.2-6300","dublin_core":{"Title":"Definition","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 38.2-6300","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

As used in this chapter, “health care sharing ministry” means a health care cost sharing arrangement among individuals of the same religion based on their sincerely held religious beliefs, which arrangement is administered by a non-profit organization that has been granted an exemption from federal income taxation pursuant to \u00a7 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and that:<\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

1.<\/span> Limits its membership to individuals who are of a similar faith; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> Acts as an organizational clearinghouse for information about members who have financial or medical needs and matches them with members with the present ability to assist those with financial or medical needs, all in accordance with the organization’s criteria; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

3.<\/span> Provides for the financial or medical needs of a member through payments directly from one member to another. The requirements of this subdivision 3 may be satisfied by a trust established solely for the benefit of members, which trust is audited annually by an independent auditing firm; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

4.<\/span> Provides amounts that members\/subscribers may contribute with (i) no assumption of risk or promise to pay among the members and (ii) no assumption of risk or promise to pay by the organization to the members; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

5.<\/span> Provides written monthly statements to all members that list the total dollar amount of qualified needs submitted to the organization by members for their contribution; and <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

6.<\/span> Provides in substance the following written disclaimer on or accompanying all promotional documents distributed by or on behalf of the organization, including applications and guideline materials<\/span>:\n\t\t\t“Notice:

\t\t\tThis publication is not insurance, and is not offered through an insurance company<\/span>. Whether anyone chooses to assist you with your medical bills will be totally voluntary, as no other member will be compelled by law<\/span> to contribute toward your medical bills. As such, this publication should never be considered to be insurance. Whether you receive any payments for medical expenses and whether or not this publication continues to operate, you are always personally responsible for the payment of your own medical bills.” <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDEFINITION (\u00a7 38.2-6300)\n\nAs used in this chapter, “health care sharing ministry” means a\nhealth care cost sharing arrangement among individuals of the same religion\nbased on their sincerely held religious beliefs, which arrangement is\nadministered by a non-profit organization that has been granted an exemption\nfrom federal income taxation pursuant to \u00a7 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue\nCode of 1986 and that:\n\n1. Limits its membership to individuals who are of a similar faith;\n\n2. Acts as an organizational clearinghouse for information about members who\nhave financial or medical needs and matches them with members with the present\nability to assist those with financial or medical needs, all in accordance with\nthe organization’s criteria;\n\n3. Provides for the financial or medical needs of a member through payments\ndirectly from one member to another. The requirements of this subdivision 3 may\nbe satisfied by a trust established solely for the benefit of members, which\ntrust is audited annually by an independent auditing firm;\n\n4. Provides amounts that members\/subscribers may contribute with (i) no\nassumption of risk or promise to pay among the members and (ii) no assumption of\nrisk or promise to pay by the organization to the members;\n\n5. Provides written monthly statements to all members that list the total dollar\namount of qualified needs submitted to the organization by members for their\ncontribution; and\n\n6. Provides in substance the following written disclaimer on or accompanying all\npromotional documents distributed by or on behalf of the organization, including\napplications and guideline materials:\n\t\t\t“Notice:\t\t\tThis publication is not insurance, and is not offered\nthrough an insurance company. Whether anyone chooses to assist you with your\nmedical bills will be totally voluntary, as no other member will be compelled by\nlaw to contribute toward your medical bills. As such, this publication should\nnever be considered to be insurance. Whether you receive any payments for\nmedical expenses and whether or not this publication continues to operate, you\nare always personally responsible for the payment of your own medical\nbills.”\n\nHISTORY: 2008, c. 232.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}