Each year, farmers must decide which items are essential to their operation.
One item they should not have to give up is healthcare.
An independent network of farmers has created a more affordable healthcare option, exclusively for farmers.
AUDIO: Lucas Strom, Farmers Business Network
Farmers Business Network (FBN) prides itself in putting ?Farmers First.?
The independent network puts ?Farmers First? by democratizing information, providing unbiased analytics and creating competitions for farmers? business. However, not all of its products and services are related to agronomics.
Charles Baron, co-founder and vice president of product, talks about the network?s largest, single request and how the company has addressed the matter.
?The biggest, single request we?ve gotten – not related to the farm agronomically – is to do something about healthcare costs,? Baron said. ?We?re a member network, 7,500 farms strong. We were able to set-up a benefits program, group health plans for our members and provide access to healthcare.?
Research suggests nearly three-fourths of farm families receive health insurance through an off-farm job. Nearly 10-percent of farm families do not have coverage, despite the great risks associated with the oftentimes-dangerous profession.
Lucas Strom, head of insurance for Farmers Business Network, says FBN Health seeks to create healthier family farms by reducing premium costs and offering a variety of health services.
?In healthcare, the issues are cost (and) access, and nothing has been tailored for farmers. What that means is having telemedicine and 24/7 access to a doctor, if you are in a remote area. We wanted to create something that kept all of that in mind and then we leverage the Network to reduce the cost. We?ve reduced a discounted premium price where a lot of our farmers can find savings,? Strom said.
FBN Health is offered through a national provider and available in 11 states.
Farmers are encouraged to visit fbnhealth.com for more information. Note: You do not have to be a Farmers Business Network member to receive a health insurance quote.
