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It started with a marble-sized lump in Courtney Spencer’s underarm after a busy June day moving heavy gates on the farm.

Had she pulled a muscle? After all, she was a healthy 36-year-old mother of two preschoolers, daughter, Emma-Grace, and son, George. Still, she called her gynecologist and then the Beechwood Breast Center, part of the Cleveland Clinic. It was post-COVID and appointments were backed up. She couldn’t be seen until August.

That’s when her life changed forever.

On Aug. 29, 2022, George’s first day of kindergarten, she learned she had invasive ductal carcinoma, Grade 3, the most aggressive form of breast cancer. It had spread to her lymph nodes. And so began two years of chemotherapy, radiation and operations as doctors at the Cleveland Clinic tried to rid her body of the invader. 

In addition to her husband, Tom, Courtney’s partner for her cancer journey was the Ohio Farm Bureau Health Benefits Plan, which the family had used as its health care benefits since 2021. Both Courtney and Tom were working full-time on their Ashtabula County farm, raising corn, soybeans and hay and finishing beef cattle and hogs. They’d had Tom’s insurance through his work off the farm until he was laid off in December 2019, then had COBRA. They were without health care when they found Farm Bureau’s plans.

“Their health care coverage was just amazing compared to other private health insurance,” said Courtney, an Ashtabula County Farm Bureau member. “It was more money out of pocket but a safer route to go because we were considering having another baby, and some other plans didn’t cover that.”

After her cancer was diagnosed, Courtney and Tom decided against having a third child. But their appreciation for their health care policy grew.

With a social worker’s help, Courtney began to navigate seemingly never-ending cancer treatments: 16 chemotherapy treatments followed by a double bilateral mastectomy and breast reconstruction, then six weeks of five-days-a-week radiation treatments. On top of that, she was prescribed a variety of shots, pills and infusions with huge price tags.

“I remember the social worker said when she learned we had a private health plan that it would be so much easier for me,” Courtney said. “Never once did I have to call up and argue to get them to pay for anything. I was in no condition to call them up and negotiate coverage.”

The plan’s been easy to navigate, too, with premiums automatically withdrawn from their bank account monthly and quick preapprovals when needed for procedures. 

“They took care of everything,” she said. “I don’t think we waited more than three days for a preapproval. I have a friend who has different insurance and has had to fight for procedures; that surprised me since not even my doctor’s office has had to call about my procedure approvals.”

Dan Rapp, senior director of health services for Ohio Farm Bureau, said more and more Farm Bureau members have taken advantage of the group health care plan since it was offered eight years ago. In the past year it’s seen a nearly 20% growth. Recent enhancements include a wider variety of prescription drug plans, online health care visits, and a smartphone app that allows participants to see their health records, ID card and claims. 

The health plan is available to sole proprietors and employers of 1 to 50 employees in the agricultural economic sector and is headquartered in Ohio. It uses Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s health care provider network and has a board of trustees made up of Farm Bureau members. 

“Everything we make is rolled back into the plan,” Rapp said. “And in general, it may be 20% to 40% below the cost of marketplace plans.”

After a whirlwind two years, Courtney is looking forward with a sense of hope. This fall she’s scheduled for surgery to remove her ovaries as a precautionary measure. Her last PET scan, in May, was clean. 

“We were lucky; I had a savings account and that’s covered our deductibles so far. Right now I’m healthy, but I keep a close eye on my health by eating healthy and getting exercise. I am living every day to its fullest and if I notice something that doesn’t go away in three to five days, I call my oncologist.”

Her doctor said she’ll live to be an old lady in a rocking chair. 

As for her Farm Bureau health coverage, she says it’s the best money they spend every month. 

“It’s been flawless. I don’t know how we would have gotten through this without this health plan. Would we have lost the farm? I would hate to think that, without it, my kids could have lost their future.” 

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and an opportune time to examine your health needs. If you haven’t already, it’s time to join the growing list of members who wish they would have switched to the Health Benefits Plan sooner! Visit ofbhealthbenefitsplan.org, email [email protected] or call 800-937-4567.

 About Ohio Farm Bureau Health Benefits Plan

The Health Benefits Plan is a flexible and high-quality health coverage option specifically created for sole proprietors and small businesses in Ohio’s agricultural economic sector.

As today’s farmers and small businesses with employees continue to search for health coverage options, the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation has taken action to help employers save on these expenses. The Ohio Farm Bureau Health Benefits Plan can lead to more rate stability and is a smart solution that offers potential savings for Ohio farmers and small businesses with 1-50 employees.  You do not have to be a current Farm Bureau member to apply. Learn more ofbhealthbenefitsplan.org.

Sponsored by The Ohio Farm Bureau Health Benefits Plan