Farm Bureau, Wellmark propose health benefit alternative for farmers

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Iowa’s statewide farm organization thinks it has a plan to help farmers who are struggling to find affordable health insurance, the Mason City Globe Gazette reported. Under the proposal, Wellmark would create health benefit plans for Farm Bureau members. The benefit plans, which would not be regulated as insurance, would be designed to be affordable for lower-income farmers. Without the requirement that the plans meet Affordable Care Act benchmarks, the plans could be cheaper than ACA-compliant plans. Tens of thousands of Farm Bureau members could be eligible for the health benefit plans, which are under consideration by the Iowa Legislature, Iowa Farm Bureau President Craig Hill said.