Stay Informed

            One topic that comes up consistently at county and district Farm Bureau meetings is the cost and availability of healthcare insurance.

            “I don’t go to a district or county meeting where someone doesn’t bring the topic up,” said INFB President Randy Kron. Other state Farm Bureaus also are grappling with the issue.

            As part of its effort to respond to members’ concerns, Indiana Farm Bureau is asking as many members as possible to respond to a survey that will help INFB evaluate what members need, the best options to address those needs and whether it’s feasible for INFB to offer any sort of healthcare program to its members.

A link to the survey has been emailed to all members who are registered with VoterVoice, INFB’s voter advocacy app. The survey also can be found on page 3 of the September issue of The Hoosier Farmer and on INFB’s website.

            However members choose to respond, their answers will be kept confidential. The deadline is Friday, Sept. 27, said Mark Thornburg, INFB director of legal affairs, who has been coordinating INFB’s research on the healthcare issue.

            That research has involved dozens of meetings with many of the other state Farm Bureaus as well as several different insurance carriers, Thornburg said. “We also used a consultant to help us wade through this complicated arena,” he added.

            The main goal, Kron and Thornburg said, has been to see if there are any plans available that will provide members with a better product, a better price or, ideally, both.