Farmers are about to pay a lot more for health insurance

"Between falling prices for commodity crops like corn and soybeans, rising input costs for supplies like fertilizer and seeds, the Trump tariffs and the dismantling of USAID, many in agriculture won't be profitable this year. The enhanced subsidies that many Americans, including farmers, rely on to purchase health insurance are set to expire at the end of this month. James Davis, 55, who grows cotton, soybeans and corn in north Louisiana, said he doesn't know how he and his wife will afford coverage next"

""You can't afford it. Bottom line, there's nothing to discuss. You can't afford it without the subsidies," Davis said. More than a quarter of the agricultural workforce purchases health insurance through the individual marketplace, according to an analysis from KFF, a nonprofit health policy research organization. That 27% rate is much higher than the overall population only 6% of U.S. adults have non-group coverage."

"Farming is dangerous work. Agricultural workers spend much of their time outside and exposed to the elements. Many of their duties can lead to injury or illness: they drive and operate heavy machinery, work with toxic chemicals, and handle large animals. Work-related deaths are seven times higher for farmers than the national average. The financial toll of non-fatal farm injuries is also significant."

Farm economics are strained by falling commodity prices, rising input costs, tariffs, and aid reductions, leaving many operations unprofitable. Enhanced health insurance subsidies used by many Americans, including a large share of farmers, are set to expire, sharply increasing premiums for some households. A substantial portion of agricultural workers obtain coverage on the individual marketplace, far above the general population rate, making subsidy loss particularly damaging in the sector. Farmers face a choice between going uninsured or leaving farm work for employer-based coverage. Farming has high occupational risks, with elevated fatality and injury costs that make insurance critical.

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