HEALTH SHARING · PREGNANCY & BIRTH PLANNING
Samaritan Ministries and Midwives: Who Pays, Who Submits?
There is a lot to prepare before a baby arrives. The paperwork may not be the part you are most excited about, but knowing who sends a bill—and who pays it—can make the financial plan much easier to follow.
For Samaritan Ministries members considering a San Diego midwife, start with the name of the actual program. Classic and Basic have published provider instructions that explain a member-led payment and submission process.
The short answer
Samaritan’s Classic and Basic provider guidance says these programs do not use a provider network. Providers bill the member, and members submit their own itemized bills for sharing and pay their providers. Confirm your program before applying those instructions.
Identify the program on your membership
Ask which current set of guidelines and provider instructions applies to your card or membership. A familiar ministry name alone does not identify every administrative arrangement.
For Classic and Basic, the published absence of a network is not the same thing as guaranteed sharing or a practice agreement. Current care availability and your financial responsibilities still need a conversation with the practice.
Put the agreement beside the sharing process
Ask the practice for the proposed services, payment dates, and any available payment arrangements. Ask Samaritan how your program handles maternity submissions and when it wants the documents.
Compare those two timelines before enrolling. The way a sharing community processes a request may not match the date a practice payment is due. Settle that question while there is time to plan.
Keep the bill useful to everyone who reads it
Samaritan’s provider resource describes itemization including the provider, patient, service dates, service description, and charges. The member keeps responsibility for submitting the required documentation.
If care changes, preserve the original estimate and updated documents. A revised bill should explain the services actually provided, not simply replace the earlier record without context.
Leave room for the care you hope to receive
The practical discussion belongs alongside the personal one: where you hope to give birth, what support you want during pregnancy, and who will help after your baby arrives.
A consultation with Tayna can explore that care plan and current availability. Samaritan applies its own guidelines to the sharing request; choosing a midwife and receiving shared funds are separate decisions.
Questions families ask
Should my midwife send Classic or Basic bills directly to Samaritan?
Its published provider guidance says to bill the member, who submits their bills. Confirm that Classic or Basic is the program applicable to your membership.
Does having no network mean every maternity expense will be shared?
No. Program guidelines and individual eligibility still determine sharing, and the practice agreement explains your payment responsibilities.
Plan the care, then check the sharing rules
Explore our Samaritan Ministries midwifery guide, health sharing library, and insurance and payment information.
Sources reviewed October 27, 2026: Samaritan Ministries official information. Program documents and individual eligibility govern sharing. Health sharing is not insurance; payment is not guaranteed. This article does not recommend enrolling or confirm a provider contract.
You can begin with a conversation.
Tell Tayna what brings you here—the care you are hoping for, the questions you are carrying, or simply where you would like to start. We can talk through current availability and what the next step would involve.
Care with Tayna Chessman, LM, CPM.
San Diego County by appointment.
Established office in Murrieta.
© 2026 San Diego Midwifery · San Diego & North County
Care availability and appointment locations are confirmed individually.
