When is "bearing burdens" just another insurance plan?

When is a Christian ministry designed to "bear one another's burdens" really an insurance plan subject to corporate law? That's the question being considered in the US where an organisation Medi-Share is defending its operation in the state of Kentucky.

According to AP, Medi-Share members affirm a statement of Christian beliefs and pledge to follow a code that includes no tobacco or illegal drugs, no sex outside of marriage, and no abuse of alcohol or legal medications. 

Every month, members pay a fixed "share" to cover the medical expenses of members in need. The cost usually is less than private insurance. The organisation says it helps Christians pay medical bills based on a Bible verse that urges people to "carry each other's burdens." 

However the Kentucky Department of Insurance says that Medi-Share is an insurance plan and should be subject to the same, tighter regulation as that of secular insurance plans.

Read more here