America’s farm and ranch families are paying top dollar for health insurance that inadequately covers their needs and causes them significant financial risk, according to a report released Sept. 16 from The Access Project and sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The 2007 Health Insurance Survey of Farm and Ranch Operators shows that while nine in 10 farm and ranch operators have health insurance, nearly a quarter (23 percent) report that insurance premiums and other out-of-pocket healthcare costs are causing financial difficulties for themselves and their families. These families report spending 42 percent of their income on healthcare coverage and medical costs. In addition, 44 percent report spending at least 10 percent of their annual income on health insurance premiums, prescriptions, and other out-of-pocket medical costs. Farm and ranch operators are especially hard hit because they are often forced to buy insurance on the individual, nongroup market, where insurance costs more and often covers less. Read the report.
