On February 20th, Katy Christian Ministries Executive Director Deysi Crespo announced the launch of a new initiative designed to make affordable health care more accessible to the Katy community. The announcement was made at the nonprofit’s office at 3506 Porter Road in Katy.

Called “Worship Health,” the program -- which is a “benefits plan” and not an insurance plan – provides access to health care for the uninsured and underserved members of the community, Crespo said. The plan can also be used by those who already have insurance but who may be facing high deductibles.

“Affordable access to health care is one of the key social determinants of health,” Crespo said.

The program has been developed in partnership with Shawn Fry, CEO and Data Scientist of OptimalMD Technologies, LLC, which is based in Katy at 154 Bella Katy Road, Suite 200, Katy. Worship Health is part of OptimalMD, which Fry said is a trailblazer in healthcare innovation where the power of telemedicine is blended with first principles functional medicine to deliver an Optimal Standard of Care.

Tennyson Smith of Vital 2 Life Ministries serves as an adviser to the project.

“At Worship Health, every family has the freedom to stay healthy without the complexities of traditional insurance,” Fry said. “Plans from $49 per month provide you with 24/7 access to physicians and the drugs you need to stay healthy WITHOUT traditional obstacles such as deductibles, co-pays, prior authorizations and denials.”

Because the plan is a “benefits” plan and not a traditional insurance plan, it is focused on providing primary care, and it doesn’t cover certain other services such as MRIs, X-rays and so forth. “Our program covers 95% of the typical medical encounters per year,” said Fry. “Most people go to the doctor or emergency room when they don’t need to. It does make people feel better when their kid is sick, and if they are sick (turning blue, can’t breathe, fever of 103, etc., they should go.” What is included in Worship Health, according to Fry, is 24/7 access to a doctor via telemedicine and discounted access to the rest. of things. “We have detailed case studies that show 95% of incidents are covered by this program,” said Fry. “It also shows this program radically reduces the number of more serious cases because people get care much earlier in the process. Most major issues come from not treating issues before they get severe.”

Surgeries, chemotherapy and similar follow up procedures are not covered. “If your income is in certain ranges. you get free or deeply discounted services.” said Fry. “If your income is ABOVE their thresholds, [and] if you get cancer, we would enroll you in an Exchange plan that covers your condition.”

Acceptance into the Worship Health program is guaranteed, Fry said. “We promise everyone is approved regardless of illness, age, immigration status, income or any other reason. Get the healthcare you deserve without the cost and hassle from insurance companies.”

The plan includes virtual visits with health care providers, pharmacy benefits and mental health counseling. Fry said that over-the-counter (OTC) drugs were also available at reduced cost through this program and that other drugs, such as ADD meds, ED meds and birth control, could be obtained through the program.

Aging parents are one of the greatest challenges that families face today, Fry said. The program allows parents and in-laws to be added to a family’s plan for just $10.00 each per month.

The program is ideal for small business owners who may not be able to offer affordable health care options to their employees, Fry said.

The program is already live and accepting members, Fry said. Only a full name and email address are required in order to sign up, he continued. The program is month-to-month and does not require a long-term contract or agreement. Unlike conventional employer-provided insurance plans, the Worship Health plan is portable, staying with the enrollee in spite of job changes or other circumstances. Data is secure and private and not reported to insurance companies or anyone else, Fry said.

Crespo said that information on the Worship Health plan would be distributed to KCM’s clients through the food pantry distribution, through the crisis center and through the nonprofit’s social services department.

For more information on Worship Health, or to enroll, go to https://www.worshiphealth.org.