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INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Farm Bureau Health Plans are now — finally — available.
Hoosiers can now apply for the health plans, which include individual and family plans, Medicare supplement insurance plans and dental and vision coverage.
The plans were created by Indiana Farm Bureau to provide significant cost savings for sole proprietors who do not have access to an employer’s health insurance plan. They use reliable, known providers such as UnitedHealthcare, VSP and Delta Dental.
Applicants must be a resident of Indiana and a member of INFB and meet the medical underwriting requirements. The application process takes 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the number of dependents and medical history.
Interested individuals who are not currently members of INFB may apply for membership at any time, but must wait 30 days from the start of their membership before applying for the traditional plans or dental and vision coverage. Medicare supplement insurance plans do not require the 30-day waiting period.
Coverage, which begins as early as January 2021, is statewide. Plans are portable anywhere a member may live in Indiana, with no defined service area.
INFB members will find on average individual plans are 30% to 50% less and family plans are 50% to 70% less than non-subsidized Affordable Care Act plans, said Patrick Williams, INFB Health Plans manager, during a virtual preview with media ahead of the Oct. 1 launch.
“Your rate, once it’s been offered, can never worsen, which is very important to know, and you can never lose your coverage, assuming you make your monthly payments for the insurance premium payments and your annual membership dues,” Williams said.
Members can improve their rating if they lose weight, no longer smoke or no longer take medication. So, Williams added, their savings can become even greater.
“We are finding some real savings for our members,” said INFB President Randy Kron. “If you think about agriculture and the tough economic times that we’re having the last few years, this can kind of offer a peace of mind for a lot people, that they know they can have coverage at a more affordable rate.”
Working Together
Thinking back several years ago as he traveled the state after being elected president, Kron said someone brought up the cost of health care — or even their lack of any coverage at all — during almost every meeting he attended.
“The question at the end would always be, ‘Can’t Farm Bureau do something about this? Can’t you help us?’ So, after about a year’s worth of research, a lot of hard work on our staff and a lot of hard work on our members, we changed some legislation which allowed us to offer some health benefit plans,” he said.
“Here at Farm Bureau we’re about finding solutions for our members. This is one of those solutions that I’m proud of that we’re going to be able to offer to help our farmers, help the sole proprietors be able to be a little more prosperous and hopefully have some really good coverage.”
INFB worked successfully with the state legislators — particularly Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso, and Rep. Ethan Manning, R-Denver — earlier this year to pass Senate Enrolled Act 184, providing an exemption to the current law to allow the organization to offer fully underwritten individual health plans exclusively for its members.
The plans are specifically aimed at addressing the needs in the under-65 market for members who do not have access to employer plans or an ACA-subsidized plan, said Megan Ritter, INFB executive director of administration.
The majority of INFB members are sole proprietors and, in turn, do not qualify for other plans, Ritter said, adding 5% to 9% of INFB’s 270,000 members are currently uninsured.
“It is important to note that Indiana Farm Bureau Health Plans are not insurance and Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance is not a health company,” she said.
A Farmer’s Story
Health care has been relegated to the backburner for Mindy Orschell, a farmer in Franklin County.
“It just hasn’t been affordable. It hasn’t been an option,” she lamented. “So, you know, those six-month dental cleanings, those yearly doctor checkups, the vision screenings haven’t been a reality for us.”
“Health care has always been kind of like the monkey on our back for many, many years. Unfortunately, it’s driving the decisions for not only our farming operation, but our family,” she said.
Orschell’s husband, Greg, at Type 1 diabetic, was working off the farm to receive company-subsidized insurance. But, she said, his health declined and his stress levels increased.
“He was burning the candle at both ends trying to make this work, continuing to work his corporate off-the-farm job and juggle the growing responsibilities with our family farm operation. It came to a point where the safety concerns outweighed the financial burden,” she recalled.
“So, the past 10 years since he’s returned to the farm full time have been full of high deductibles, low coverage, crazy-high premiums and it’s been really tough.”
Their two sons recently completed ag-related college degrees and want to return to the family farm, but the parents have not encouraged that because they have not been able to offer any type of health insurance for them.
“We are hopeful that in the near future our boys are going to be able to join our operation because of the action that Farm Bureau is taking,” Orschell said.
“We are so proud to be a part of Farm Bureau, not only for listening to its members’ needs, but also to find a solution and working towards the solution to help many farm families, insuring that their farm operation has the tools necessary to thrive in the future.”
INFB Health Plans
• Individual and Family Plans — The Traditional Plans provide health coverage options for individuals and families. These plans utilize the UnitedHealthcare Choice Plus network of providers. Four plans are available: Advanced Choice, Classic Choice, Major Medical and High Deductible Health Plan (HSA-qualified).
• Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans — For members 65 years of age or older, the Medicare Supplement Plans include Plan A, Plan D, Plan G and Plan N, meant to help pay for some of the healthcare costs the original Medicare Part A and Part B do not cover.
• Dental/Vision Coverage — Dental and vision coverage will be bundled for members into one affordable, convenient plan through Delta Dental PPO Plus Premier, in partnership with VSP Vision Care. Limited dental and vision benefits provided by United Healthcare are also included in the Advanced Choice and Classic Choice Traditional Plans.
For more information about Indiana Farm Bureau Health Plans, or to apply, go online to www.infbhealthplans.com, call 1-888-964-0854 or visit your local Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance office.