Immergrun, Inc. | Why We're Needed

Amish, Mennonites and other Anabaptists are strong believers of separation of church and state. From their beginnings, they felt being a Christian meant yielding one's sovereignty to a community or brother hood of believers, not a government or king. This means not accepting money or benefits, especially welfare.

They believe in being "in this world, but not of it," rejecting worldly (evil) ways and creating they're own world. "Be not conformed to this world" (Romans 12:2) They accept other as they are without judging them or trying to convert them, but remain separate from this outside world. This is the reason they are not connected to the electric grids and do not have phones in their homes. They remain apart from the world while still being in it.

When it comes to paying for medical bills and healthcare, the Amish tend to rely on their own communities. They do not collect unemployment or welfare and, in most cases and after a lot of legal dealings, do not pay into or draw from social security. Each community maintains a mutual aid fund to assist its members who need help with medical costs, dental bills, etc. This is their form of 'insurance'.

The Amish strive to take care of their own, especially the elderly. They build new additions to their homes for the grandparents to 'retire'. For the Anabaptists, insurance from an outside company is seen as not trusting God to care for their needs. It's also relying on the outside world rather than their own communities.

Because they do not use insurance, they are forced to pay inflated 'self-pay' rates for their medical care. Self pay prices are much higher than the rates insurance companies are able to negotiate for their patients. Also, many doctors and facilities often end up writing off many self-pay patients because prices are so high and they don't have a lot of money. The "English" (non-Amish) have resources available to them from the government which help them to lower their costs and pay their bills. Because of their beliefs, the Amish and Mennonite communities don't have that.

Immergrün, Inc. allows those communities to negotiate rates comparable to what insurance companies pay. We also ensure a high quality of care by working only with doctors and facilities that we know will provide the best care.

Amish and Mennonite patients often travel to their countries to get low-cost medical care, but there is always a risk of poor quality care with this option. It can also mean traveling very long distances for these services. Toledo, Ohio is more of a centralized location for most Amish and Mennonites. (Click here for more location information) We are also expanding to facilities in areas nearer to the Anabaptist communities, making it easier for many patients to receive quality, low-cost healthcare. Click here for a list of current participating facilites.