Rani & Hannah Espanioly, Plano, TX

Samuel Jameel and Eliza Marie were born to Rani and Hannah Espanioly under CHM’s maternity program. Samuel was born September 12, 2011 and Eliza was born October 10, 2013. We talked to the family about their CHM experience.

Christian Healthcare Ministries: How did you hear about CHM?

Hannah Espanioly: Rani is an Arab Israeli and we were living in his hometown of Nazareth, Israel. As a foreigner, I didn’t qualify for Israeli social health insurance. When we decided to start a family, I needed an alternative. We worked in full-time ministry and knew we might relocate to the United States so my husband could pursue seminary studies. A missionary friend suggested we look into CHM.

CHM: As a missionary, what about CHM appealed to you?

HE: I was attracted to its strong Christian principles and I knew it would “travel” with me and could be used anywhere in the world to help with our health care costs.

CHM: One month after joining, you found out you were pregnant. What did you do?

HE: I began communicating with Norma Mull in the Member Assistance department. She was very helpful in figuring out the next steps. Because my pregnancy began overseas there were some hurdles to overcome, but I was able to get things sorted out. At six months gestation our family relocated to Plano, Texas. By that time it was smooth sailing.

CHM: What about your second pregnancy?

HE: Monica Rohr helped process my medical bills and she was wonderful. She answered all my questions quickly and even shared some of her own experiences when my daughter had difficulty swallowing after birth (something Monica’s daughter also experienced). She was such an encouragement.

CHM: How did CHM handle your pregnancy complications?

HE: During my pregnancy with Eliza, doctors were concerned that the baby was suffering a genetic abnormality such as Down’s syndrome. A genetic test revealed that Eliza had normal chromosomes, but because of the false positive test results in the first trimester, I was classified as high-risk. I had to have weekly, expensive ultrasounds. CHM helped with all of the costs. Thankfully, we had no further problems and Eliza was born perfectly healthy!

CHM: What was the total cost of your maternity bills?

HE: Samuel’s delivery costs were about $11,000. CHM shared them all in a timely manner. My daughter’s costs were around $13,000 and included a swallow test for Eliza after her birth. This time, the process was slower because of complications, but we did receive the checks.

CHM: Would you recommend CHM to other young couples?

HE: Absolutely! Despite being skeptical at first, I was thrilled with the CHM maternity program. All of my eligible bills were shared and I ended up with less out-of-pocket costs than many friends who had “good” insurance. Plus, CHM offers a network of fellow believers to encourage its members with notes and prayer. I would especially recommend CHM to others in full-time ministry, such as missionaries, who may not have access to affordable care. I still find it hard to believe that anything related to health care costs can be enjoyable, but my experience with CHM was great!

Editor’s note: CHM welcomes members living outside the United States. However, please note that the following additional requirements must be met:

• CHM members must have access to a U.S. mailing address or reliable Internet service capable of receiving e-mails with attached files.

• All bills submitted must be translated into English and converted to U.S. dollars.