The recent decision by federal law enforcement officials to shut down what they call a fraudulent, faith-based Missouri medical cost-sharing company reveals, again, a major failure of America’s health care system.
Beyond that, it gives people one more reason to be wary of initiatives marketed as religious ministries with government oversight. The reputation of legitimate institutional religion gets enough self-inflicted wounds (sex abuse scandals, money-grubbing televangelists) without a private, highly questionable health care ministry adding to the list.
The FBI and attorneys for the Department of Justice have shut down the St. Joseph-based Medical Cost Sharing Inc. Those authorities say the company marketed a well-planned fraud that drew in customers by seeking out “like-minded Christians.”
