Farmers Reform Wisconsin Medical Insurance
A new health insurance plan for farmers in Wisconsin is being eyed around the U.S. as a possible model for health care reform.
According to The Northwestern, the Farmers' Health Cooperative of Wisconsin has created a first-of-its-kind health plan that provides group coverage to farmers and agriculture related workers.
The new plan was created because farmers previously had to pay higher rates as individuals for plans with less benefits. The costly individual plans put a strain on farmers, and sometimes a spouse would work off the farm just to get insurance.
With the new group insurance rates, farmers and their families will be able to get lower rates and attract workers. The new plans aren't expected to be cheap, but they'll be competitive. And farmers will get better health benefits under the group rates.
Individual and family health plans in the farmer's cooperative will start at $300 deductibles for individuals up to $5000 for families. Benefits will include workplace injuries, which aren't covered in current plans.
18% of Wisconsin dairy farmers don't have health insurance, and 41% can't afford coverage for every family member. Hopefully the $2.4 million of federal funding used to start the farmer's cooperative will help make more people get covered with the group health insurance rates.
There are 72,000 farmers in Wisconsin, and it's unclear as to how many will need to sign up in order for the cooperative plan to work. The new plan is through Aetna Health Insurance and offers a statewide network of 125 hospitals, 500 care facilities, and over 17,000 doctors and practitioner in Wisconsin.
If this new Wisconsin health plan works for farmers, other states may create similar programs.
According to The Northwestern, the Farmers' Health Cooperative of Wisconsin has created a first-of-its-kind health plan that provides group coverage to farmers and agriculture related workers.
The new plan was created because farmers previously had to pay higher rates as individuals for plans with less benefits. The costly individual plans put a strain on farmers, and sometimes a spouse would work off the farm just to get insurance.
With the new group insurance rates, farmers and their families will be able to get lower rates and attract workers. The new plans aren't expected to be cheap, but they'll be competitive. And farmers will get better health benefits under the group rates.
Individual and family health plans in the farmer's cooperative will start at $300 deductibles for individuals up to $5000 for families. Benefits will include workplace injuries, which aren't covered in current plans.
18% of Wisconsin dairy farmers don't have health insurance, and 41% can't afford coverage for every family member. Hopefully the $2.4 million of federal funding used to start the farmer's cooperative will help make more people get covered with the group health insurance rates.
There are 72,000 farmers in Wisconsin, and it's unclear as to how many will need to sign up in order for the cooperative plan to work. The new plan is through Aetna Health Insurance and offers a statewide network of 125 hospitals, 500 care facilities, and over 17,000 doctors and practitioner in Wisconsin.
If this new Wisconsin health plan works for farmers, other states may create similar programs.
