With health insurance premiums that can total more than a thousand dollars every month, some Illinois farmers dread getting sick and wonder if they can get well without going broke.
Illinois Farm Bureau wants to find a prescription and held a rural Health Care Summit Tuesday to look for affordable health insurance options. Brian Duncan serves as the organization's vice president and leads a group of county Farm Bureau leaders examining the issue;
A representative from the Chicago office of Lockton Companies, which bills itself as the "world's largest privately held insurance brokerage firm," told the group the federal Affordable Care Act has been both a benefit and a beast. Lisa Carlson says some secured insurance despite prexisting conditions but now find only one or two options that are very expensive;
An effort to repeal and replace the A-C-A failed in Congress. In the interim, farmers hope they can find some affordable solutions to stay healthy in a dangerous and aging profession.
