Health care co-ops enter final stretch for sign-ups

Dec. 11--ST. PAUL -- The health insurance co-ops are busy signing up farmers across Minnesota.

Char Vrieze, project manager for 40 Square Cooperative Solutions, said that with the Dec. 15 deadline for farmers to sign up for health care through its statewide program, the company has "well over 200" farm families signed up for policies. With about a week left until the enrollment deadline, she said, the "phones are ringing off the hook" now that farmers are out of the fields and putting a priority on their 2018 health care coverage.

The co-op offers health insurance options to farmers across Minnesota to those who work in agriculture and have at least one common law employee, meaning the employer offers a W-2.

With the enrollment period coming to an end next week, Vrieze said the focus is on getting plans and insurance cards mailed, and making sure enrollees have a simple transition to their new 40 Square health care plan.

"We want this to be as smooth as possible to our members," she said. "But they now have the option of owning their own health plan. We just need to take care of the mechanics behind the curtain so we're ready to go Jan. 1."

While 40 Square's enrollment period will end on Friday, the enrollment for the Land O'Lakes heath care cooperative has been extended to Dec. 29, said Brooke Dillon, communications manager at Land O'Lakes, Inc.

Dillion said with so many farmers working on their harvest so late into the season, Land O'Lakes, which offers plans to farmers at co-ops that are part of the company's production network, the company received many calls asking for the extension.

While 40 Square had initially hoped to get 500 enrollees, Vrieze said the co-op board decided to go ahead and fund its plans even if it falls short of that goal.

And there's always the hope that farm families will sign up in the last week of enrollment. "At our community meetings, we'd spoken to over 1,700 farmers across the state in person," she said. That included meetings at 35 locations.

On Tuesday, the co-op held a webinar for farmers who couldn't come and hear the pitch face-to-face. "And we're recording that, so it will be available online through open enrollment," Vrieze said.

Have some regional news from Houston, Goodhue, Wabasha or Winona County that you'd like to share? Contact Brian at 507-285-7715, or by email at [email protected].

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