The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast

Episode: 1KHO 716 - The Benefits Trap | Dustin Garrett, Samaritan Ministries
Host: Ginny Yurich
Guest: Dustin Garrett, Samaritan Ministries
Date: February 20, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode explores the concept of healthcare sharing ministries as an alternative to traditional health insurance. Host Ginny Yurich is joined by Dustin Garrett of Samaritan Ministries. Together, they discuss the "Benefits Trap"—the common belief that securing a job with good benefits, particularly health insurance, should be a top life priority. They highlight how this mindset limits entrepreneurial and lifestyle freedom, and share practical insights into how healthcare sharing models work, especially for families, entrepreneurs, and those seeking greater autonomy over their health decisions.

Key Discussion Points

The Culture of "Good Benefits" and Its Constraints

• Societal Conditioning: Both Ginny and Dustin reflect on how they were raised with the message that good benefits are crucial and often dictate major life choices.
  • "When you find a job, make sure it has good benefits. That was the whole thing."
    —Dustin Garrett, [02:52]
• Ginny expresses how this focus on benefits, especially health insurance, can constrain life choices, particularly for would-be entrepreneurs or those with non-traditional careers.
  • "If your top, one of your top priorities is to get good benefits, then you're really constrained with your life choices."
    —Ginny Yurich, [08:21]

What is Samaritan Ministries & Healthcare Sharing?

• Community-Based Model: Samaritan Ministries orchestrates direct, non-insurance, member-to-member sharing of healthcare costs.
  • "It's like many hands making light work of even the largest medical needs."
    —Dustin Garrett, [06:55]
• Historical Roots & Modern Tech:
  • The approach draws on ancient practices of mutual aid, updated with digital tools, making support borderless.
  • "This is not like some newfangled thing that we stumbled upon...but the idea of communities helping each other...is a very old idea."
    —Dustin Garrett, [02:52]
• How It Works: Each month, members send their “share” directly to other assigned members who have medical needs, along with encouragement and prayers—not to a centralized pot.
  • "Instead of sending a premium to a company, I get a name of somebody and I send my monthly amount straight to another person who's had a medical need."
    —Dustin Garrett, [12:41]

The Benefits—Tangible and Intangible

• Relational Aspect: The process fosters meaningful connection between members, who send notes of encouragement, prayers, and support.
  • "To have people come, encourage you, write you notes or pray with you is really meaningful."
    —Dustin Garrett, [05:36]
• Freedom: Members have the freedom to choose healthcare providers and aren't bound by networks or geographic locations.
  • "At Samaritan, you have the freedom to go to whatever provider you want to."
    —Dustin Garrett, [10:10]
• Portability: Membership isn’t tied to employment and travels with the individual irrespective of job changes or moves.

Comparing Costs, Transparency, and Systemic Problems

• Systemic Waste: Referencing Dr. Marty Makary’s book The Price We Pay, the hosts discuss the bloat in traditional healthcare, waste, lack of transparency, and inflated costs.
  • "1 in 5 Americans currently have medical debt in collections."
    —Ginny Yurich, [29:54]
  • "For every 10 doctors there are seven nonclinical FTE [full-time employees]."
    —Ginny Yurich, [41:16]
• Direct Payments Yield Discounts: Members often find that paying cash directly results in significantly lower charges than using traditional insurance.
  • "It was going to be $6,200...but then she was like, if you don’t have insurance, it’s $12."
    —Ginny Yurich, [31:24]
  • "I said, we're cash pay patients...they said if you pay within 60 days, we'll cut it in half."
    —Dustin Garrett, [33:55]

How Samaritan Ministries Handles Administration & Nonprofit Stewardship

• Administrative Sustainability:
  • 11 months of the year, shares go directly to members in need.
  • On the 12th (anniversary) month, the share goes to Samaritan's office to cover operational costs.
  • "That's how people's salaries get paid. That's so interesting."
    —Ginny Yurich, [28:46]

Redeem Health Share — The Digital Evolution

• New, All-Digital Option: Redeem Health Share serves as a next-generation, all-digital extension of the Samaritan Ministries’ model, with added features like dental, vision, preventive care, gym memberships, and a Senior Saver plan for Medicare-eligible members.
  • "Redeem really is designed for folks who maybe have looked at Samaritan before...and there's some people that love that [analog] aspect of it."
    —Dustin Garrett, [43:38]
  • "...Redeem is, has new programs, has new features. And so it's really...the next generation of what's possible in the digital world."
    —Dustin Garrett, [44:02]

FAQs and Member Experiences

Common Skepticisms & Paradigm Shift

• Many potential members, especially skeptics, worry about reliability and the "too good to be true" factor. Dustin welcomes deep questioning:
  • "Typically behind the skepticism is a deep care for their family...So I don't ever really see the skepticism as a bad thing."
    —Dustin Garrett, [49:43]
  • "Usually they do want you to explain it in insurance terms...You know, the co-pays, deductibles, premiums, the networks...take that framework and light it on fire."
    —Dustin Garrett, [50:32]
• Ginny draws a parallel between healthcare sharing and homeschooling, noting both require a shift away from conventional frameworks.

Pre-existing Conditions & Special Needs

• Samaritan Ministries doesn’t automatically exclude those with pre-existing conditions, but such situations are nuanced. Some needs may be eligible for sharing; others may be handled as "special prayer needs" where voluntary giving is encouraged.
  • "Samaritan would never turn someone away...However, we also can't just take on the entirety of the pre-existing conditions of the world."
    —Dustin Garrett, [55:11]

Unique Personal Connections

• Both Ginny and Dustin share stories of unexpectedly being assigned people they know as recipients for their share, reinforcing the program’s relational and genuine feel.
  • "We got a letter one time and we knew the person."
    —Ginny Yurich, [14:22]
  • "He was sending his monthly amount to another artist from a band he really loved."
    —Dustin Garrett, [14:42]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Health Freedom:

  • "This has opened the door and allowed us to live a very different life...not governed by what are the benefits going to be."
    —Ginny Yurich, [59:07]

• On the "Original" Model:

  • "I usually like to flip that on its head. Actually the model—this is the original. The traditional [insurance] is a hundred years old; mutual aid goes back thousands."
    —Dustin Garrett, [45:42]

• On the System’s Inadequacy:

  • "20% of Americans have medical debts; it's not working."
    —Ginny Yurich, [50:59]

• On Emotional Impact:

  • "She had tears in her eyes...I think this might be an answer to our prayers of me being able to be home."
    —Dustin Garrett, [48:31]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Introduction & Personal Story: [01:02] – [06:55]
• Explaining Samaritan’s Model & Relational Focus: [06:55] – [14:03]
• How Money Flows / Transparency: [12:47] – [14:42]
• Systemic Healthcare Issues & Cost Examples: [29:34] – [41:28]
• Administrative Model & Office Funding: [26:21] – [28:46]
• Redeem Health Share and New Offerings: [41:38] – [44:19]
• Skepticism, Reliability & Member Questions: [49:19] – [53:53]
• Pre-existing Conditions: [55:10] – [58:19]
• Dental, Vision, and Expanded Offerings: [58:19] – [59:07]
• Childhood Outdoor Memory (Closing Question): [62:10] – [64:53]

Closing and Tone

The episode is personal, encouraging, and practical in tone. It balances real-life anecdotes with direct answers to common concerns, aiming to inform listeners not just about Samaritan Ministries, but about healthier mindsets regarding work, benefits, and community-based models.

Final Reflection

Ginny and Dustin challenge listeners to think outside the insurance “box,” suggesting that true freedom often comes from embracing less conventional, community-centered solutions. For families contemplating entrepreneurship, changes in their work-life dynamic, or simply craving more autonomy, the Samaritan Ministries approach—and its evolving Redeem Health Share option—offers both tangible and soulful alternatives to the traditional benefits trap.

For more info:

• Samaritan Ministries
• Redeem Health Share

Quote Highlight:
"It brings me much joy to see you don’t have to worry about your healthcare needs...and that you can then focus on the mission you guys are on."
—Dustin Garrett, [61:12]