Senator Manchester Announces Bill Creating Farm Bureau Health Plan

State Senator Susan Manchester (R-Waynesfield) has introduced Senate Bill 100 to give Ohio Farm Bureau members much wider access to affordable, quality health coverage plans. This innovative free market solution will help close the gap in healthcare coverage for those working in the agriculture industry. Manchester highlighted this legislation today at a press conference, where she was joined by Matt Aultman, an Ohio Farm Bureau State Board member and Darke County Commissioner.

"Agriculture is the backbone of our state's economy, and our farmers contribute a great deal to Ohio's success. We should be helping them succeed as well," Manchester said. "This legislation will create a free market healthcare coverage plan for Farm Bureau members, giving them and their families another choice and access to care." 

There are currently 678,000 Ohioans who are uninsured or lacking an affordable insurance option that the Farm Bureau Health Plan aims to assist.

Aultman described how many farmers work second jobs merely to obtain health insurance for their families, and that if he had not done the same, his family would've faced bankruptcy when their first child was born premature and spent weeks in the NICU, incurring $10,000 a day bills.  

"These are proud, hard-working folks we need in the workforce, but stress and endless hours between jobs create health problems that could be avoided by being able to work one job instead of two," Aultman said of his fellow farmers and many other rural residents.

He added, "You can't go to school sporting events without seeing a donation jar to help a family who is struggling with medical bills, due to either not having insurance or being underinsured because that is all they can afford." 
 

Manchester's bill proposes the creation of an individually evaluated plan, self-governing and self-funded for members of Farm Bureau, making it exempt from regulation and not subject to Affordable Care Act (ACA) guidelines. Enrollees in the Farm Bureau Health Plan maintain consumer protections and options to seek recourse if necessary. The plan makes for the ideal insurance option for Ohioans who are self-employed and do not qualify for ACA subsidies.

Rep. Bob Peterson (R-Sabina) is introducing a companion bill to this legislation in the House. 

“Any farmer or small business owner knows that finding economical health insurance is one of their greatest challenges," said Peterson. "The inability to have reasonable health insurance can actually discourage individuals from starting a business or becoming a full-time farmer. This bill creates an affordable option for individuals to receive health insurance."

Both bills are based on a successful model operating in six states, including Tennessee, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota and Texas. The Tennessee Farm Bureau has offered these plans since 1993 and currently serve more than 200,000 members.

Follow the bill's progress here.