While Minnesota’s governor and state lawmakers go back and forth about what to do about rising health insurance rates, farm leaders and organizations are trying to help farmers find options — and eventually, answers — for this urgent issue.

Media reports cite Minnesota as having the fourth-highest premium increase in the U.S., with premium increases up to 59% in its individual health insurance market.

Gov. Mark Dayton has urged residents who buy insurance in the individual market to contact MNsure representatives to discuss their options. Those who qualify, depending on income, would see their premium hikes reduced with tax credits.

Photo: Maudib/iStock/Thinkstock

However, Carolyn Olson, a pork and crop farmer near Cottonwood, points out that MNsure is not an option for their family due to the income requirement. She and her husband, Jonathon, searched for health care options.

“We were fortunate to find a solution,” she says. “We had been contracting with a self-employed farmhand. He agreed that instead of being a 1099 laborer, he would go to a W2 employee, and get health insurance through us so we could also qualify as a group plan.”

Olson notes that there are many farmers who would not qualify for MNsure and are still wondering what to do.

“We really need farmers and small-business owners to write to their elected officials and tell them that they cannot find insurance here in rural Minnesota,” she adds.

Looking for options
In a recent newsletter from Minnesota Milk Producers Association, Marty Trierweiler, co-owner and agent at Billmark’s Lakes Area Insurance in Alexandria, offered these health insurance options for farmers and other individuals looking for coverage:

• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota is writing new products in the Blue Plus limited network. The Blue Plus plan will be offered in all counties except Benton, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Crow Wing and Stearns. It will take all new enrollees and not cap enrollment.

• Medica will take on new members in 2017, but will limit new policies to 7,000. “If you are fast enough to be one of the first 7,000, the only way to get a new policy with Medica is directly through MNsure for its new 2017 plans,” Trierweiler said.

• Health Partners is limiting policies to 11 counties. These include the seven metro-area counties and the four counties surrounding St. Cloud. Health Partners has not announced a specific number of policies it will write, but may cap enrollment this year as well.

• Preferred One will not offer any new individual enrollments for 2017.

Average increases for his clients on individual and family health rates range from 50% to 59%, depending on factors such as age, plan design and for which county the plan is rated, Trierweiler said.

Another insurance option may be in the form of small-group coverage, he added.

“We have been working through the details with the carriers on what they will accept as a small group,” Trierweiler said. “As of mid-October, at least one carrier will offer a plan that covers owners only, down to one person, as long as there is some type of corporation in place which has been established for six months or longer. There are also options for sole proprietors as long as at least one ‘common law’ employee is covered on the plan. Partnerships can also be considered for a small group.”

Trierweiler encouraged farmers to call their insurance broker now to discuss their options, including small-group insurance, and renewing or starting a new individual or family plan.

“Several of the plans will cap their enrollments on a first-come, first-served basis with open enrollment starting Nov. 1, 2016, at 12:01 a.m.,” he noted.

Dec. 15 is the last day to enroll in or change plans for coverage to start Jan. 1, 2017.