The state's attorney general called The Aliera Companies a "sham."

California has filed a civil rights lawsuit against the Christian “health insurance” company Aliera, claiming they “preyed on consumers who, in many cases, thought their monthly payments were being used to help others who shared their faith and religious beliefs.” And it’s not the first time this company has been accused of the same thing.

If you’re not familiar with this particular grift, Christian “health insurance” companies are plans that only the most devout believers can buy into. Just like Christian films and faith-based theme parks, however, they’re so much worse than the original.

Here’s how these companies work. Groups like Samaritan Ministries and Liberty HealthShare ask everyone in the system to pay a specific amount into the insurance pool every month… but the companies don’t collect the cash or send it to health care providers like regular insurers. For a fee, these companies simply tell individuals where to send their money (e.g. Bob from Nebraska) and how much to send. If you need something covered yourself, you make a request and the company will send your name to others in the pool.

That’s not entirely different from regular insurance, at least in theory, but there are some major problems with the system. There’s no oversight or regulations, not all services are covered (like mental health care), your pre-existing conditions may be a dealbreaker, there’s a cap on how much you can receive even if your medical bills exceed them, and the providers can cut you off at anytime if you become too expensive to insure. Even worse: If you do something they deem “immoral,” you won’t get any money at all. (Good luck getting contraception. And you sure as hell won’t be able to cover your same-sex partner.) Basically, everything is fine… until the moment you need them the most.