▶ CMM Christian Medical Mutual Aid Society was established in 1996; there have been no instances of delayed or unpaid medical bills.
▶ Popular “100x Membership Dues” Funeral Expense Support Program to Launch Campaign Targeting 100,000 Members Nationwide
“Medical Expense Sharing Ministry to Promote the Health of Koreans” Rev. Park Do-won, Representative of CMM Christian Medical Mutual Aid Society
Rev. Park Do-won of “CMM Christian Medical Mutual Aid Society,” a nonprofit organization dedicated to sharing medical expenses among Christians, stated, “We will strive to ensure that more Koreans receive proper medical care,” and emphasized, “We will grow this organization into a Christian enterprise that employs many second-generation Koreans in the future.” [Reporter Park Sang-hyuk]
Park Do-won (77), who founded the nonprofit Christian medical expense-sharing ministry “CMM Christian Medical Mutual Aid Society” in 1996 and, over the course of 24 years, grew it into a major organization with tens of thousands of Christian participants across the United States, is a pastor who established the Logos Mission in Chicago in 1976 and, in 1978, began as “Monthly Logos” and changed its title to “Christian Journal” in 1981, and has been publishing a Christian newspaper for over 40 years.” ““It began in response to requests from Korean Americans who were struggling to afford high health insurance costs, but I never expected it to grow this much,” said Pastor Park, expressing his determination: “I will continue to devote my life to the ministry of sharing medical expenses to promote the health of Korean Americans who fall through the cracks of the healthcare system.” In an interview with this newspaper, Pastor Park discussed the background behind the establishment of the CMM Christian Medical Mutual Aid Association, its benefits, and future plans.
- The reason for establishing the CMM Christian Medical Mutual Aid Society was
▲In 1995, I translated an article about the “Christian Medical Cost-Sharing Ministry” run by an organization called Medi-Share and published it as the lead story on the front page of the Christian Journal. This resulted in a flood of inquiries from readers. Because Korean Americans facing financial hardship were struggling with high medical costs, they showed a great deal of interest in the medical cost-sharing ministry.
With the intention of helping people who are not comfortable with English navigate the enrollment and medical expense assistance processes, I learned that there was an organization in Ohio engaged in similar ministry work. I visited that organization, and initially, they established a Korean division to assist Korean Americans with enrollment. However, as managing a department specifically for Koreans became difficult due to the similarity of Korean names and cultural differences, we realized we needed our own medical expense-sharing program for Korean Christians that would also address language barriers. After consulting with the organization’s director, we established the “CMM Christian Medical Mutual Aid Society” in 1996.
After placing an ad in the Christian Journal, Korean-American readers began signing up. With significant interest coming from across the United States—including inquiries from Guam and Alaska—the Christian Medical Mutual Aid Society officially launched after attracting about 500 members.
- I’ve heard that while the CMM Christian Medical Mutual Aid Society has lower membership fees than health insurance, some people are hesitant because they’re unsure whether they’ll receive adequate medical expense coverage.
▲Founded in 1996, the CMM Christian Medical Mutual Aid Society has been carrying out its ministry of sharing medical expenses for 24 years.
As the only organization of its kind among ethnic minorities, it has accumulated a wealth of experience through countless efforts and trials over the years.
Membership dues, which were adjusted in early 2000, have remained unchanged for over 20 years without a single increase, and there has not been a single instance during that time where medical payments were delayed or failed to be made due to insufficient funds.
Furthermore, since we have sufficient funds set aside for use at any time in an emergency, we are ready to provide assistance at any time for medical expenses that meet our guidelines. Having operated for over 20 years, we have accumulated a wealth of operational expertise. We are confident that, as long as the necessary documents for medical expense assistance are properly prepared, we can process claims faster than general health insurance providers.
- Is CMM a credible organization?
▲The Christian Medical Mutual Aid Society is an organization that was officially recognized as a medical cost-sharing organization by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (
), when Obamacare took effect in 2014. At that time, among medical cost-sharing organizations, only those established before December 31, 1999, and that had operated smoothly without issues in paying medical expenses were recognized as official ObamaCare penalty-exempt entities; CMM was the only ethnic minority organization to meet these criteria.
CMM also has a sufficient number of qualified professionals. In every department, there are staff members who have accumulated extensive experience and expertise over many years, as well as professionals with academic qualifications and career experience. Not only are they serving their respective churches and growing in faith, but they also believe that CMM is a ministry entrusted to them by the Lord and are dedicating themselves to it wholeheartedly.
With a solid financial foundation, CMM is not an insurance company, but it continues to explore ways to provide benefits that are even better than those offered by insurance.
- I hear that a unique life insurance-style plan—which provides funeral expenses equal to 100 times the premium—is gaining popularity.
▲This program was launched to provide members with more benefits. Simply put, if a member who has been enrolled for at least two years passes away, the organization will pay funeral expenses equal to 100 times the average monthly membership fee the member paid while enrolled.
For example, if a Gold Plus member pays a monthly fee of $175, they will receive $17,500—100 times the monthly fee—to cover funeral expenses. The program was launched to comfort bereaved families grieving the loss of a loved one due to an unexpected accident or sudden illness, and to provide financial support for funeral expenses. Bereaved families who have received funeral expense assistance through the Life Plan have expressed their gratitude, saying it was a great help.
-Starting January 1 of next year, California residents without health insurance will have to pay a penalty. What happens if I enroll in CMM?
▲By joining a CMM, you can not only avoid the penalty for lacking health insurance but also plan for medical expenses with membership fees that are significantly lower than those of traditional health insurance. CMMs experienced rapid growth in 2014 when provisions of the Affordable Care Act—which imposed a penalty on those without health insurance—took effect. This was because the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recognized CMMs’ medical cost-sharing ministries as alternatives to traditional health insurance.
As a result, there has been an explosive increase in the number of Korean Americans joining the CMM Christian Medical Mutual Aid Society—which offers coverage for a wide range of medical expenses at a monthly premium that is significantly lower than that of Obamacare, while also exempting members from penalties. Now, with several states, including California, implementing their own mandatory health insurance requirements, inquiries are surging once again.
-What are your plans for the future?
▲In addition to serving our existing members well, we will launch a campaign to reach 100,000 members. Since many Korean Americans are still unaware of CMM’s medical expense-sharing ministry, we plan to promote it more actively so that Korean Americans can be freed from worries about medical bills. With a commitment to safeguarding the health of the Korean Christian community in the U.S., we are training our approximately 50 staff members—based at our Chicago headquarters and located across the country in California, New York, New Jersey, Texas, Atlanta, and elsewhere—to generously support members’ medical expenses in accordance with our guidelines, without being stingy or holding back. Furthermore, for conditions that cannot be treated with material means, we are praying earnestly that God will “send forth a healing light” (Malachi 4:2) to heal them.
While medical treatment is important, I am keenly aware of the importance of intercessory prayer—praying together for the patient’s healing. I will strive to ensure that CMM Christian Medical Mutual Aid grows into a larger organization that covers all medical expenses for future generations of Korean Christians, and that it serves as a model Christian enterprise capable of employing more second-generation Koreans.
Biography of Pastor Park Do-won
1967: Graduated from the General Assembly Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church of Korea
1969: Ordained as a pastor by the Gyeonggi Presbytery of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Korea
September 1970: Commissioned as a chaplain in the Republic of Korea Army
July 1973: Emigrated to Chicago, Illinois, USA
1976: Founded Logos Mission
1978 Launched “Monthly Logos”
1981: Published the Christian Journal
1996: Founded CMM Christian Medical Mutual Aid Society
2019: President of Logos Mission, Representative of CMM
Christian Medical Mutual Aid Society, and Publisher of the Christian Journal
