Many farm families lack an affordable health insurance option. Most rely on off-farm jobs for coverage. Some go without. While Affordable Care Act subsidies help some, many farmers still find plans unaffordable.
Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation is asking the state Legislature to exempt it from state insurance regulations to allow the model, offered only by state Farm Bureaus. Some of these states include Tennessee and Iowa. WFBF Executive Director of Governmental Relations Jason Mugnaini says members in those states have seen premiums up to 60 percent lower than comparable subsidized plans.
Juneau County Farm Bureau member Sally Turpin says these health plans could give Wisconsin farmers access to affordable, flexible coverage that meets their unique needs.
“It was so expensive for us to have health insurance because my parents both worked on the dairy farm, and a lot of families are still on that boat now or… sending someone to town to have a job to have insurance when that person could be on the farm,” Turpin explains. “Health care has just gotten unaffordable when you look at what premiums are… they might be paying… more than somebody’s mortgage.”
According to WFBF, about 50,000 people whose income normally makes them ineligible for federal incentives are uninsured in Wisconsin. The concept the Wisconsin Farm Bureau is proposing could help to reduce the number of uninsured Wisconsinites.
See previous coverage: https://www.midwestfarmreport.com/2023/12/04/farm-bureau-seeks-its-own-health-plan/
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