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During last year’s Farm Science Review, Ohio Northern University’s Mobile Health Clinic was a popular stop.

Walk-in patients kept the staff busy, according to Michael Rush, director for ONU’s Healthwise and Pharmacy Residency Programs and coordinator for the clinic.

“Most of the individuals we saw were either self-insured or uninsured,” he said. For many, a checkup was long overdue. “They’d had a hard time in the past getting that care, either due to issues with insurance coverage or affordability.”

That demand for health screenings illustrates how the lack of health care coverage leaves gaps in care for rural Ohioans. To help fill that gap, Ohio Farm Bureau is working to create new health coverage plans for its uninsured and under-insured members.

First, changes are needed in state law. Two bills are currently under consideration: Ohio Senate Bill 100, sponsored by Sen. Susan Manchester (R-Waynesfield), and a companion bill, House Bill 99, sponsored by Rep. Bob Peterson (R-Sabina).

If the proposed legislation is passed, Ohio Farm Bureau will be ready to offer new options quickly. The new health plan will give members access to coverage similar to that offered under traditional health insurance plans, such as preventive care, maternity care, office visits and emergency room services, as well as mental health and substance abuse care.

The lack of health care coverage is just one of the reasons rural residents might not be getting the care they need, according to Rush. Even people with coverage may lack access to care because of a shortage of health care providers in rural areas, he explained.

ONU’s Mobile Clinic is helping with both affordability and access by bringing health services out into the community. The clinic, housed in a customized 38-foot RV, is supported by a charitable health network. It offers primary care services such as physical exams, vaccinations, blood pressure checks and blood tests for cholesterol and sugar levels.
Pharmacy and nursing students from ONU help staff the clinic, and physicians in training at a partner hospital help out as well.

“It’s a pretty progressive and innovative model in that we’ve got a lot of health care disciplines that come together and lend their expertise to an appointment,” Rush said.

Without the clinic, community members without insurance and those with poor access to care providers might not be getting the care they need. The patients Rush saw at Farm Science Review proved that point.

“I was glad we were there because we were able to see people who really needed to be seen. Several of them had concerns that needed to be addressed that simply were not being addressed yet,” he said.

Farm Bureau previously created its Health Benefits Plan to help employers in the agricultural industry offer health coverage for employees. The Ohio Farm Bureau Health Benefits Plan has been in place since 2017, helping farms and ag businesses manage the high cost of medical coverage for employees. Even so, that plan isn’t a good fit for many Ohio farmers and rural residents.

“Not everyone is a small business and not every small business has the means to offer an employer-sponsored plan,” said Whittney Bowers, director of state policy and grassroots engagement for Ohio Farm Bureau. Farm Bureau’s proposed health coverage plans would give many of those farmers and employees a more affordable way to get coverage.

Support for mental health

In addition to supporting the physical health of members, Farm Bureau’s proposed health care plan would give members coverage for mental health care and substance abuse treatment. Farm Bureau has been working to destigmatize mental health issues, but access to care is still a concern.

Sara Tallmadge, an Ashland County Farm Bureau member, recently began working as a clinical research coordinator at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health. After growing up on a farm and working for nine years at Ohio State’s Center for Food Animal Health, she shifted her career to follow her interest in mental health care in rural areas.

“There are a lot of health care disparities that exist in rural America, one of those being mental health care,” she said.

In her new job, Tallmadge is working on studies that focus on anxiety and intolerance to uncertainty. The research deals with people who are in recovery from the use of substances such as alcohol and opioids.

“In rural America and agriculture, we have so many stressors that can cause mental health concerns,” Tallmadge said.

Factors such as financial distress, chronic pain, social isolation and even the current trade and tariff concerns can contribute to mental health problems or substance abuse issues. However, many rural areas lack resources to deal with those problems.

Telehealth has emerged as an option to provide care in those areas, but that highlights another concern. People without good broadband access can’t even access telehealth services, Tallmadge said. Farm Bureau has been working to promote better broadband access, and that work will contribute to better health care access.

“We need to be sure that we continue focusing on that, so individuals do have access to telehealth when it comes to mental health care,” she said.

Finally, simply having access to health coverage can eliminate one of the stressors some farmers experience.

“Not only are we expanding coverage for them, we are also helping to keep individuals on the farm,” Tallmadge said. In some cases, farmers take off-farm jobs to get health care coverage for their families. “This option will just give them an opportunity to focus on farming a little bit more and strengthen Ohio agriculture and agriculture in general.”

Key points

• Farmers’ physical and mental health are often compromised by lack of health coverage.
• Ohio Farm Bureau seeks to establish Farm Bureau Health Plans.
• Health plans would help uninsured or underinsured members.

What do to next

Get involved in the legislative and policy development process:
STEP 1: Contact your county Farm Bureau to learn about upcoming meetings.

STEP 2: Attend your county Farm Bureau annual meeting where local policies are voted on.

STEP 3: Sign up for Action Alerts when key legislative actions are needed.