Latest news with #FarmBureau
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Lawmakers approve bill exempting Missouri Farm Bureau health plans from federal rules
State Sen. Kurtis Gregory shakes hands following his introduction to the Missouri Senate (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent). Missouri Farm Bureau will be allowed to sell health care plans to its members, Medicaid will cover the cost of hearing aids for adults and supplies of birth control will be extended under legislation that passed the legislature in the waning hours of the session on Thursday. The legislation, which was sponsored by Republican state Sen. Kurtis Gregory of Marshall, now heads to the governor's desk. The underlying bill allows the Missouri Farm Bureau to sell health care plans that don't abide by the protections set by the Affordable Care Act. As a result, the Farm Bureau would be able to offer lower-price coverage options, which the organization and its supporters say is necessary to help uninsured farmers. 'This is a product that is going to get people coverage that otherwise cannot afford it,' Gregory said at a House hearing last month. 'This is a coverage product that is going to save lives. It is a product that's going to save people money.' State Rep. Brad Pollitt, a Republican from Sedalia who carried the bill in the House, said Thursday that the Farm Bureau's health plans 'will not be the solution for everyone. But those without health care plans believe this will be beneficial.' This was the third year the bill has been proposed, and it's received significant pushback from Democrats and patient advocates, who argue it would leave some Missourians without protections. It's also faced opposition from insurance companies who argue it gives the Farm Bureau an unfair advantage over competitors. If the bill is signed into law, Missouri will join 10 states that have adopted similar carveouts for the Farm Bureau in previous years. Alabama and Florida also passed similar measures this year. Democrats added some protections to the Farm Bureau portion of the bill during negotiations, including mandating the organization to provide a clear disclaimer that the products it's selling are not officially regulated as health insurance, mandating the company can't cancel coverage for members because of a medical event and ensuring the state insurance department will handle complaints. The bill contains a wide swath of other health measures, including several added by Democrats during negotiations, especially by state Sen. Patty Lewis of Kansas City. Those include: provisions mandating that Missouri Medicaid cover hearing aids and cochlear implants for adults, expanding access to testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, requiring insurance companies that provide birth control medication to provide extended supplies and tweaking the law around telehealth to allow audio-only visits. There was little opposition voiced on Thursday. State Rep. Betsy Fogle, a Democrat from Springfield, said the negotiations 'were able to make a bill significantly better with wins for the majority party, wins for the minority party and ultimately wins for our constituents back home.' The bill passed by a vote of 147 to 1 on Thursday afternoon in the House. That followed a vote of 24 to 6 in the Senate. The Farm Bureau would offer lower prices by reverting to the pre-Affordable Care Act practice of what's called medical underwriting — carefully evaluating applicants' medical history and risk — to determine whether to cover them and at what price. The Farm Bureau is a nonprofit agricultural membership organization which partners with for-profit companies to sell various kinds of insurance to its members. Anyone can join — the fee is $30 per year. Historically the group has been primarily made up of people in farming communities. Gregory has estimated around 15,000 Farm Bureau members lack health insurance and would be the target audience to enroll in the benefit plan. Many farmers and other members of the Farm Bureau, proponents say, are uninsured because they can't afford to buy an individual plan on the Affordable Care Act marketplace or make too much money to qualify for subsidies. Garrett Hawkins, president of Missouri Farm Bureau, said in an interview with The Independent shortly after the bill passed that the organization's effort has been years in the making. Lack of health insurance options for farmers is 'an impediment to bringing the kids home to the farm. It's an impediment to bringing a spouse home to the farm who has pursued off-farm employment solely to get health coverage,' he said. 'This is a big deal.' Emily Kalmer, a lobbyist for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, said at a House hearing last month that even with concessions made at the urging of the bill's critics, patient advocates remain highly concerned. 'To be clear, this legislation still allows the Farm Bureau to sell unregulated products that won't have to comply with many of the other provisions we fought for over the years,' Kalmer said, including protections for preexisting conditions. Medicaid coverage for hearing aids and cochlear implants for adults would be expanded under the bill passed Thursday. Currently, Medicaid in Missouri, which is called MO HealthNet, only covers hearing aids for eligible children, pregnant women and blind people. There was little opposition to that change this year, but in prior years there has been some concern around the cost. The Medicaid hearing aid and cochlear implant provisions are estimated to cost up to $10.3 million in fiscal year 2027, and $2.7 million the following year, according to the fiscal note. 'I realize there are some costs to this,' said state Rep. Cameron Parker, a Republican from Campbell. 'But I do believe that the benefit of these services, the hearing instruments, the cochlear implants, outweigh the cost greatly.' The bill also requires health plans to cover extended supplies of birth control. Plans that provide coverage for hormonal contraceptives would be required to cover a supply lasting up to 90 days, or, for generic medication, up to 180 days — meaning patients would be able to pick up months-long supplies of the birth control pill at one time rather than needing to pick up the prescription more frequently. The Independent's Jason Hancock contributed reporting. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
CBS News
13-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
San Joaquin County issues disaster declaration for cherries
SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY — Cherries are a favorite summer fruit. This year, however, the staple may be hard to come by. "Right now, the cherry season is looking like we're definitely having a light crop overall," San Joaquin County Farm Bureau Federation Vice President and Lodi Blooms Owner James Chinchiolo said. "Some of the estimates are showing that perhaps half of what the industry is capable of producing." Out of the 19,000 acres of cherry crops across San Joaquin County, it's estimated that 43% of crops have been damaged. For a county that produces nearly 80% of all cherries in the state of California, it's hitting the entire cherry community hard. "Us as farmers, we depend on pickers," Chinchiolo said. "We depend on people hauling the fruit. We depend on electricians. We depend on so many people that help support us in the mission of getting these cherries from the trees to market — and certainly there's a huge trickle down effect here in San Joaquin County." It was all caused by the rain in March and April that affected pollination. After coming off an abnormally warm summer last year, it created the perfect storm for growers. Since cherries are a very sensitive fruit, with the risk of rupturing if water stays on the fruit for too long, it's pushing the San Joaquin County Agriculture Commissioner to declare a disaster. "Whenever the disaster is declared by the Secretary of USDA, the assistance can come in the form of grants to the growers, or most likely in this case, it's going to be low interest loans that are opened up for our grower community," San Joaquin County Agriculture Commissioner Kamal Bagri said. Now that the declaration is submitted, the California Office of Emergency Services will look at the commissioner's data and analyze if the county saw abnormal conditions this season. With the hopes this declaration is accepted, it will bring much needed support to growers across the county. "We're open to accepting support," Chinchiolo said. "That'll help us maintain a healthy operation, keep the folks that work for us employed, and make sure that we can continue to take care of these trees to to produce again for another year." The county estimates a financial loss of nearly $98 million. Still, there are ways to support local. The Cherry Festival in Linden is happening this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Also this weekend, Lodi Blooms will be starting their "Cherry U-Pick" event.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rep. Bacon says farmers ‘already seeing an impact from tariffs,' calls for opening trade
Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) said farmers in his state and across the Midwest are 'already seeing' the impacts of President Trump's tariffs and called for the country to open agricultural trade with other countries to support the industry. Bacon joined NewsNation's 'The Hill Sunday' where host Blake Burman asked him about agricultural workers and how they are handling tariff impacts slowing trade. 'Well, the [agriculture] community is very worried. If you talk to the Farm Bureau, the cattlemen … some of our biggest meat producers here are for beef, they're already getting their markets shut off,' Bacon said. 'We're already seeing an impact on our exports in Nebraska, where we've lost market access in Europe primarily … particularly with our beef and popcorn and things like that,' he continued. 'So, we are going into a recession in the Midwest farm community.' While there's concern that Trump's tariff plan will send the country into a recession, the president has expressed confidence that his agenda will help the country in the long term. He said 'anything can happen' regarding a potential recession but thinks the economy will thrive later on. Republicans in Congress, like Bacon, are concerned that there is no outcome or exit plan for Trump's trade war, which they say will hurt markets for wheat, corn, soybeans, pork and other U.S. products. Bacon noted that the imports of fertilizers and herbicides are being impacted by higher prices and barriers due to tariffs. He said farmers across the country are 'really struggling right now' and they need relief from the tariffs or financial aid, like Trump implemented during his first administration. Still, Bacon said he thinks farmers would be better off if the administration opened trade doors instead of imposing tariffs at all. Burman asked Bacon about the timeline that he sees for farmers in his state to continue business under the tariffs. 'We need to get this thing settled this summer or our farmers will be struggling,' Bacon replied. 'We'll be in a recession here in the Midwest.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
04-05-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Rep. Bacon says farmers are ‘already seeing an impact' from tariffs, calls for opening trade
Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) said farmers in his state and across the Midwest are 'already seeing' the impacts of President Trump's tariffs and called for the country to open agricultural trade with other countries to support the industry. Bacon joined NewsNation's 'The Hill Sunday' where host Blake Burman asked him about the agricultural workers and how they are handling tariff impacts slowing trade. 'Well, the [agriculture] community is very worried. If you talk to the Farm Bureau, the Cattlemen … some of our biggest meat producers here are for beef, they're already getting their markets shut off,' Bacon said. 'We're already seeing an impact on our exports in Nebraska where we've lost market access in Europe primarily … particularly with our beef and popcorn and things like that,' he continued. 'So, we are going into a recession in the Midwest farm community.' While there's concern that Trump's tariff plan will send the country into a recession, the president has expressed confidence that his agenda will help the country long term. He said 'anything can happen' about the potential of a recession, but thinks the economy will thrive later on. Republicans in Congress, like Bacon, are concerned that there is no outcome or exit plan for Trump's trade war that they say will hurt markets for wheat, corn, soybeans, pork and other U.S. products. Bacon noted that the imports of fertilizers and herbicides are being impacted by higher prices and barriers due to tariffs. He said farmers across the country are 'really struggling right now' and they need relief from the tariffs or financial aid, like Trump implemented during his first administration. Still, Bacon said he thinks farmers would be better off if the administration opened trade doors instead of imposing tariffs at all. Burman asked Bacon about the timeline that he sees for farmers in his state to continue business under the tariffs. 'We need to get this thing settled this summer or our farmers will be struggling,' Bacon replied. 'We'll be in a recession here in the Midwest.'
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
The $20 billion question hanging over America's struggling farmers
As Earth heats up, the growing frequency and intensity of disasters like catastrophic storms and heat waves are becoming a mounting problem for the people who grow the planet's food. Warming is no longer solely eroding agricultural productivity and food security in distant nations or arid climates. It's throttling production in the United States. Farmers and ranchers across the country lost at least $20.3 billion in crops and rangeland to extreme weather last year, according to a new Farm Bureau report that crowned the 2024 hurricane season 'one of the most destructive in U.S. history' and outlined a long list of other climate-fueled impacts. Texas experienced the highest losses for the third year in a row. Extreme drought, excessive heat, and high winds took out more than $3.4 billion worth of crops like cotton and wheat, and damaged rangeland. Flooding cost Minnesota some $1.45 billion in corn, soybeans, and forage, among other crops. California endured nearly all the same weather challenges as the south-central U.S. and the upper Midwest, costing its agricultural sector $1.4 billion. And then there was the one-two punch of hurricanes Helene and Milton that tore through the Southeast. Georgia's agricultural sector sustained over $459 million in losses as Helene wiped out crops like peanuts, pecans, and cotton. The same storm destroyed some $174 million worth of tobacco, blueberries, and apples in North Carolina. Florida's ag industry lost nearly twice that to the two hurricanes, adding to the problems pummeling citrus production, all of them caused by previous storms, water scarcity, and disease. Those tallies are but a snapshot of the economic impact of last year's disasters on U.S. farm production, as they only account for damages wrought by major weather events such as billion-dollar disasters. They also don't figure in most livestock or infrastructure losses following Helene and Milton, which significantly hike up total agricultural economic impacts for states like Georgia and Florida. By the end of the year, farmers from coast to coast were left with diminished income, unpaid bills, and little recourse. Those financial stressors were compounded by inflation, surging labor and production costs, disruptions to global supply and demand, and increased price volatility. So in December, Congress authorized nearly $31 billion in emergency assistance to help struggling producers. Last week, the USDA opened those disaster aid applications and said it was expediting disbursements. But there's a catch: The funding pot the agency is gearing up to distribute makes up just a third of the assistance Congress approved. That $10 billion is intended for farmers growing traditional commodities, such as corn, cotton, and soybeans, and is available to those who experienced most any kind of loss, not just those stemming from extreme weather. Payouts are determined by multiplying a flat commodity rate, based on calculated economic loss, with acres planted. It significantly limits eligibility, said Billy Hackett, policy analyst at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, and funnels help away from smaller farmers into the pockets of industrial-scale operations. Fewer than 6 percent of U.S. farms sold more than three-fourths of all agricultural products between 2017 and 2022. '[The program] works exceedingly well for the largest farms, but leaves behind smaller farms,' said Hackett. The USDA has not yet said when or how the remaining $21 billion will be distributed. That funding was, in fact, allocated for producers impacted by weather-related disasters in 2023 and 2024. But unlike the package structured for commodity growers, which had a 90-day timeline for implementation, Hackett noted that the USDA doesn't necessarily have to act quickly on it. The American Relief Act that authorized the funding gives the USDA 120 days to begin reporting on its implementation progress, but no hard deadline for actually disbursing money. That means the $21 billion program isn't on the same ticking congressional clock. Ultimately, lawmakers did not provide clear reasoning for why they split the pot and crafted different disbursement mechanisms, with one measure of relief pushed through over the other. Hackett noted that it could be a reflection of who policymakers in Washington are hearing from most: 'Who is the loudest? Who has the most meetings? It doesn't always reflect who is in the most need.' Read Next Farmers and small business owners were promised financial help for energy upgrades. They're still waiting for the money. Emily Jones, Katie Myers, Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco, & Izzy Ross That lack of a deadline also doesn't mean the agency shouldn't move quickly, said Hackett. The $21 billion program is primed to help many more farmers, he said, particularly those that are underserved and passed over by other federal programs such as crop insurance. Farms without crop insurance tend to be small and medium-sized, while the bulk of larger farms have coverage. Speciality crop farms — those producing fruits, vegetables, nuts, horticulture, and nursery crops — are also less likely to be covered than those that produce commodities. Just 15 percent were insured in 2022, compared to nearly two-thirds of oilseed and grain farms. Hackett worries that the application process may end up being unduly demanding or complicated, and that small or uninsured operators and historically excluded farmers that have faced issues with federal disaster relief eligibility and coverage in the past will be shut out. That has been the case with previous supplemental disaster relief programs, including the Wildfire, Hurricane, and Indemnity Program enacted in 2017 under the first Trump administration. In a briefing last week, Brooke Appleton, the deputy undersecretary for farm production and conservation, told reporters that more information on the $21 billion program should be 'coming soon.' This followed remarks Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins made late last month when she noted the agency would hit the congressional deadline of March 21 for sending out the full $31 billion — despite that deadline not applying to two-thirds of the money. The USDA did not respond to Grist's request for comment. Meanwhile, farmers like Daniel Spatz are left wondering what's next. Last spring, he lost roughly $20,000 because 'intense' rain waterlogged his central Arkansas fields, leaving him unable to plant 70 acres of rice. The year before, a prolonged drought cost him much more. Spatz is among the 13 percent or so of farmers with crop insurance, but recouped no more than $2,000 after the heavy rains. He's unsure if he's eligible for this disaster aid program, which he sees as another sign that the Trump administration is supporting large farmers 'at the expense' of small operators like himself. Above all, he's concerned about calamities yet to come. 'It appears to me that we're depending more and more on the government to bail us out of these climate-induced disasters,' he said. The USDA shelled out more than $16 billion to farmers from 2022 through 2024 for crops lost to extreme weather events alone. 'My question to the Trump administration would be, 'How much do we have to spend as a society, bailing out people, rebuilding and putting public funds into rescuing people, citizens? What does that price tag have to be before climate change is understood as real, and a public threat, a threat to our future?'' This story was originally published by Grist with the headline The $20 billion question hanging over America's struggling farmers on Mar 28, 2025.
