Indiana farmers now have a new health coverage option. The Indiana Farm Bureau says its members can apply for its new INFB Health Plans.
Indiana Farm Bureau President Randy Kron says health care costs have been a major concern for members. “We realized there was no real option for self-employed, sole proprietors, which is most of the farmers across the state,” Kron explains. “So we asked, we went to the legislature. They did some special legislation to be able to offer some innovative plans.”
The new state law stipulates that the coverage isn’t technically insurance. But the Farm Bureau says it can be half the cost of individual plans from the Affordable Care Act, with even more savings for family plans. Medicare supplement plans and dental and vision coverage will also be available.
As part of the Farm Bureau’s announcement, LaPorte County farmer Jake Smoker welcomed the new option. “In this year alone, we’ve lost three very good employees,” Smoker said. “It’s not that we can’t pay the market rates in the area. We’re competing against steels mills and things like that up here, so we’re running in the mid-to-upper-$20-an-hour range per employee. But we cannot compete on the health insurance side.”
Coverage begins January 1.
