Overall, the HIREDnAg team hopes
that this research and these educational tools will:
Hosting webinars to learn more about how extension and tax experts help farmers and ranchers make health insurance decisions.
Analyzing the impact of state and national policies related to health insurance on farm and ranch families
Developing educational tools that will aid technical assistants and service providers as they help farm families make health insurance decisions, including a Smart Choice Health Insurance Farm Families curriculum
About
The HIREDnAg team is a group of research and Extension professionals committed to understanding how health insurance decisions impact farm and ranch families.
Interviewing and surveying farmers and ranchers to understand their unique health insurance needs and decisions.
The HIREDnAg team is...
Assist farmers’ in their decisions to invest, expand and grow their enterprises
Contribute to workforce vitality, development and security in the food and agricultural sector
Impact farm enterprises given insurance market variability and state implementation decisions

Current Study States

CA
WA
UT
NE
MS
KY
MI
PA
MA
VT
Timeline
2015
Interviews with farm & ranch families
Webinars with Extension, technical assistance providers and tax experts
2016
Farm household phone survey
Development of educational tools, including Smart Choice Curriculum Farm Families
Farm Foundation National Press Club Forum
2017
Follow-up Interviews with farm & ranch families
Webinars with Extension, technical assistance providers and tax experts
2018
Share findings and educational tools with case study sites, Extension, technical assistance providers, and policymakers


Funding
The project was supported by the Agricultural and Food Research Initiative Competitive
Program of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), grant number
2015-2014-05623.
