The midterm elections are only a few weeks away, but it is getting ugly. A pro-family advocacy group asked for Kentucky Senate candidate Jack Conway to stop a legal fight against a Christian-only healthcare plan that gives coverage to churchgoers.
Conway is currently serving as the attorney general in Kentucky. The Kentucky Family Foundation believes that Conway should stop fighting the Medi-Care program. The Kentucky Senate race is one of the most watched of this election cycle. Conway, a Democrat, is running against Republican Rand Paul, for the seat held by retiring Senator Jim Bunning.
"Leave it to Jack Conway to oppose any potential solutions to our health care challenges that don’t involve bigger government or an expensive new spending program," said Paul campaign manager Jesse Benton.
The Medi-Share program is based in Florida and serves almost 40,000 church attendees in 49 states. The program deliberately excludes non-Christians because it is believed that their lifestyles can lead to unnecessary medical expenses. Program participants cannot enroll if they have preexisting conditions like heart disease, diabetes or cancer.
Conway’s office won a ruling in August from the Kentucky Supreme Court that said Medi-Share provides a "contract for insurance" and as a result, should be subject to all state insurance regulations. The ruling could force the Medi-Share program to open up to non-Christians and provide coverage for addiction treatment and preexisting conditions.
Martin Cothran, policy analyst for the Kentucky Family Foundation, is afraid that losing the legal fight could force the Medi-Share program out of Kentucky.
"Not only is this ministry a great alternative to the increasingly costly healthcare plans, but this group is only exercising its right as a Christian group to share one another’s burdens. We just don’t see why the state should be in the business of interfering with people’s exercise of their religion."
