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Hi  John,
 
We believe in a secular government - meaning no one should get special privileges because of their religion.
 
And we certainly believe religion doesn’t give you the right to rip people off. 
 
Help us in our efforts to stand up to health care sharing ministries - religious nonprofits that masquerade as health insurance. [[link removed]]
 
HCSMs are NOT health insurance[[link removed]]. They have no obligation to pay out claims. In many cases they don’t even cover the basic healthcare services families use most: like primary care, prescription medicine, and mental health care. 
 
Because of their deceptive marketing practices, families get duped into purchasing these plans, thinking they’re getting cheaper health insurance. They might even think these plans might offer better coverage because they assume a religious organization would be more charitable and ethical.
 
And then families get hit with a surprise medical bill these ministries won’t cover, and they learn the truth.
 
Read on to learn more about our wins - and donate to support our work to advance the separation of religion and government here. Even $25 makes a difference.[[link removed]]
 
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Regulating the healthcare coverage marketplace isn’t exactly a sexy issue. But it matters to working families. And it’s about protecting an important principle of church-state separation - there’s nothing wrong with being religious, but it doesn’t mean you should be allowed to play by a different set of rules. 
 
That’s why we’ve helped introduce bills to regulate health care sharing ministries in four states and the US Congress this session alone[[link removed]], modeled on legislation that’s already passed in Colorado. Simply requiring transparency can make a big difference: as former Colorado Senator Chris Hansen has said, “these organizations are now leaving Colorado - because they cannot survive with transparency.”
 
The relationships we’ve built with elected officials - through your support - have allowed us to make real progress on bringing this issue to the table for debate. 
 
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Last week, we hosted a briefing with Congressman Jared Huffman, state representatives from around the US, attorneys, and advocates who we’ve brought together to fight these deceptive practices - and inspire more people to take action. 
 
Former Colorado State Representative Susan Lontine said it best: “I just don’t think Jesus would want to rip people off.”  
 
If we want Americans to understand how important the separation of religion and government is - we need to show them that giving religious institutions unchecked power and special privileges can hit their families right in the pocketbook. 
 
Your support helps make this possible. It allows us to build relationships with elected officials within and outside the secular community, to hire lobbyists who can help get these bills introduced and passed, to bring people together to raise awareness about these issues. 
 
Can you rush a donation of $25, $50, $100, or whatever you can spare TODAY in order to help us keep advocating on this and other critical policy issues? [[link removed]]
 
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For humanity,

Fish Stark
Executive Director
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If you would prefer to make your donation by check, please make your check payable to the Center for Freethought Equality and mail it to: 1821 Jefferson Place NW, Washington DC 20036. 
 
 
The Center for Freethought Equality[[link removed]] (CFE) is the advocacy and political arm of the American Humanist Association[[link removed]]. Affiliated with CFE is the Center for Freethought Equality Political Action Committee (PAC), also known as the Freethought Equality Fund, whose mission is to achieve equality for the humanist and atheist community by increasing the number of public humanists and atheists, and allies, in public office at all levels of government. Donations to the Center for Freethought Equality[[link removed]] are voluntary and are not tax deductible. 
 

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Center for Freethought Equality
1821 Jefferson Place NW
Washington, DC 20036

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