Land O’Lakes Inc. and Gravie announced they will extend the deadline to enroll in the Minnesota Cooperative Farmer Member Health Plan until Dec. 31.

Eligible farmers who are members of participating Land O’ Lakes co-ops now have until 8 p.m. Dec. 31 to sign up.

This is good news to many who, due to the late harvest, have had little time to research 2019 health plan options, the co-op news release pointed out.

“Increased popularity and the delayed harvest season were the main factors contributing to the enrollment deadline extension,” said Ari Beilin, strategic account manager of the Land O’Lakes Cooperative Farmer Member Health Plan. “We’re seeing firsthand the relief this plan is bringing to farming families who have had limited, costly health plan options in the past. We want to give every eligible and interested member the chance to enroll.”

For those unfamiliar with the plan, last year Land O’Lakes partnered with Gravie, a Minneapolis-based benefits marketplace, to design a health plan exclusively for farmer-owned co-op members. A select group of co-ops in Minnesota piloted the program, which resulted in hundreds of farmers and their families enrolling in coverage. As a result of the program’s success, the number of participating co-ops grew by more than 60% and expanded to Nebraska for the 2019 benefits year.

For more information on the plan or to enroll, visit gravie.com/necoop.

Source: Land O’Lakes