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Now that Senate Bill 100 was signed into law July 1, it’s full speed ahead in the launch of Ohio Farm Bureau Health Plans for individuals and families later this year. The new law will allow Ohio Farm Bureau to offer members access to affordable, personalized health care plans, particularly those who do not have access to health insurance as an employee benefit or who are uninsured or underinsured due to high costs and limited options in the marketplace.

Many members have asked, what’s next? The new law takes effect Sept. 30, and in the meantime, Farm Bureau staff is actively working to launch sales later this fall, with those policies taking effect in January 2026. 

The team is in place. Trevor Kirkpatrick was named Director of Health Services in March and has been working to establish the new member service. 

As a former Farm Bureau organization director in eastern Ohio, Kirkpatrick had often been told how difficult it was for a family to farm full time if access to affordable health care was only possible with someone in the family having an off-farm, full-time job.

“I know one family specifically that runs a beef and row crop operation that has four children. The dad works on the farm full time, the kids are active in sports and other activities, and the wife is needed on the farm as well,” Kirkpatrick said. “However, she is actively looking for a job off the farm just so that they can have health coverage for their family.”

It is precisely a family in that situation who will benefit greatly from Ohio Farm Bureau Health Plans.

As a reminder, the new Health Plans will be in addition to Ohio Farm Bureau’s existing Health Benefits Plan (HBP), which helps small businesses offer health coverage to their employees. HBP is a flexible health coverage option specifically created for sole proprietors and small businesses in Ohio’s agricultural economic sector. 

Specific enrollment details for the new Health Plans will be available this fall. This FAQ will answer many questions.

Health Plans Informational Webinars

Learn more about Ohio Farm Bureau Health Plans at an upcoming webinar. (Each webinar will consist of the same content.) Billy Fields, director of state alliance operations at Farm Bureau Health Plans, will give more context to the plans and answer any questions. All webinars begin at 6 p.m. and will last one hour. Register for the webinars using the following links:

Sept. 30 Registration 

Oct. 28 Registration

Nov. 25 Registration

Questions about health plans to be answered on the webinar may be submitted ahead of time.

Disclaimer: Ohio Farm Bureau Health Plans are not insurance and are not regulated as insurance under Ohio law.