News A Healthy Option: Alfa Health Plans Could Keep Farmers on the Farm

A Healthy Option: Alfa Health Plans Could Keep Farmers on the Farm

A Healthy Option: Alfa Health Plans Could Keep Farmers on the Farm
February 4, 2025 |

By Marlee Jackson

Chris and Jordyn Upchurch know the value of teamwork. The couple spend most days together at Rockin’ U Farm feeding cows, checking chickens, baling hay and teaching their 6-year-old son, Charlie, the ropes.

It’s the American Dream.

It’s also shadowed by the burden of sky-high health insurance premiums.

“It costs us roughly $20,000 a year in (health care) coverage,” Jordyn said. “It’s mind-boggling.”

Jordyn began her career as a teacher, obtaining her family’s health insurance through an employer-provided plan. When Chris began needing more help than Jordyn’s afternoons and weekends could provide, they made the tough financial call for Jordyn to farm full time.

Their poultry and cattle farm profited from dual attention, soon expanding to include freezer beef and trucking. Their tight-knit family benefited, too, as Charlie tagged along on chores since infancy.

Jordyn began her career as a teacher, obtaining her family’s health insurance through an employer-provided plan. When Chris began needing more help than Jordyn’s afternoons and weekends could provide, they made the tough financial call for Jordyn to farm full time.

Time together, however, comes with a costly reminder when Jordyn pays their insurance premiums.

Thousands of Alabama farm families face a similar conundrum: Stay on the farm and pay steep health coverage costs or work off-farm for insurance, lose productivity and stifle expansion.

“We’re losing a generation of potential farmers because of that prohibitive cost of health care,” said Jordyn, an Alabama Farmers Federation State Young Farmers Committee member.

Stats underscore her point. Alabama has 2,000 fewer farmers today than in 2017, following a national trend. Just 8% are younger than 35, and the average age of an Alabama farmer is 59.

The Upchurches said they’re hopeful relief is in sight. This legislative session, lawmakers will consider legislation that could lower health coverage costs for farm families in their communities. Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, and others are expected to sponsor bills that would authorize the Federation to offer Alfa Health Plans for members.

Ten states have enacted similar legislation that allows for a quality, affordable health plan that lowers health care premiums for members by up to 60%.

“Alfa Health Plans would give us more choices and add competition into the marketplace,” said Chris, the Clay County Farmers Federation president.

The Upchurches of Clay County benefited as a family once Jordyn returned to the farm to help her husband Chris and take care of their son Charlie following a career as a teacher.

Jordyn said she’s confident in Alfa Health Plans thanks to the Federation’s hundred-year history helping farmers. 

“Alfa and the Farmers Federation have been by our side with our farm insurance, our vehicle insurance, our life insurance,” she said. “If we can trust them with all those things, why would we not trust them with our health coverage?”

The impact could span generations, Chris added.

“It could help make our farm more profitable,” he said. “We could invest in infrastructure, add more diversity to our farm. This would also give Charlie the opportunity to farm as he gets older.”

While Alfa Health Plans legislation won’t solve farm-related issues like high input costs or low commodity prices, Jordyn said she believes it will put the American Dream of life on the farm within reach — for today’s generation and future generations.

“It’s not getting any easier to break into agriculture,” Jordyn said. “If legislators could do something to alleviate the burden on us and other young farmers and small-business owners, why would they not? Alfa Health Plans just make sense.”

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