For $533 a month paid through Medi-Share, a service of Melbourne-based Christian Care Medical Sharing, Masters gets coverage for himself, his wife and two daughters.

When Jeff Masters had $30,000 in medical bills after getting bladder cancer, he didn’t pay through conventional insurance. Instead, he had thousands of fellow Christians foot the bill.

Masters, who lives in Fort Lauderdale, is part of a growing number of Americans who are members of faith-based “health sharing ministries” where members directly pay for each others’ medical bills. Members also pray for each other, and a “get well” card from a stranger isn’t uncommon.

National healthcare reform will force millions of Americans to buy insurance or face fines, but a little-noticed provision excludes people like Masters who belong to such groups.

For $533 a month paid through Medi-Share, a service of Melbourne-based Christian Care Medical Sharing, Masters gets coverage for himself, his wife and two daughters. That’s almost one-third what the self-employed financial planner once paid for insurance.

Medi-Share members agree to a “biblical lifestyle” that includes regular church attendance and no sex out of marriage. They agree to healthy habits: no smoking or illegal drugs and no alcohol abuse. Abortion and birth control are not covered. Members who are overweight can be denied coverage. The fit ones get discounts.

“It’s a way to motivate people who are on the same page in their beliefs to take care of themselves and be proactive in their health,” says Masters, who attends Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale.