DES MOINES, IOWA - The Iowa Insurance Division’s Enforcement Bureau recently filed a statement of charges against Trinity Healthshare Inc. and The Aliera Companies.
According to the statement of charges, Respondent Trinity, purportedly operating as a health care sharing ministry, acted as an unauthorized insurer by offering health care insurance products to Iowa consumers which were not approved for sale in Iowa. It is alleged that Aliera marketed, offered, sold, and administered these plans on behalf of Trinity without being appropriately licensed. Both Aliera and Trinity are alleged to have utilized unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the offer and sale of these health care products.
“Trinity and Aliera have denied the allegations. An administrative hearing is scheduled to resolve these issues,” Iowa Insurance Division spokesman Chance McElhaney said. “Products offered by health care sharing ministries are not insurance and there is no guarantee that your medical costs will be paid. We want to make certain that Iowans who may have purchased these products believing they were purchasing an insurance product will have an opportunity to consider their health care needs as we approach the open enrollment period, which begins November 1, 2020. Consumers are encouraged to speak with licensed insurance agents who can help them determine what options may be available to them.
“In the meantime, we continue to collect information and ask anyone with a policy through Trinity or Aliera to contact the Iowa Insurance Division.”
Consumers who may have purchased these products are encouraged to contact Sonya Sellmeyer, the Iowa Insurance Division’s Consumer Advocate, at 515-654-6538 or sonya.sellmeyer@iid.iowa.gov.
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