Committee hears opposition, support for bill letting Farm Bureau offer non‑insurance health coverage

The Ohio House Insurance Committee on Wednesday took testimony on House Bill 99, which would allow nonprofit agricultural membership organizations to provide health benefit coverage exempt from state insurance laws and require written disclosures that the coverage “is not insurance.” The committee also accepted amendment AM‑136‑0363 clarifying the exemption and disclosure requirements.

Why it matters: Supporters say the plans offer a lower‑cost option for some farm families and other rural residents who lack subsidized coverage; opponents say exempting these plans from insurance regulation could allow discrimination against people with preexisting conditions and leave consumers without meaningful appeals or state oversight.

Ben Sanders, with Farm Bureau Health Plans in Tennessee, told the committee the model is an established one and that Tennessee’s program covers “a little over a hundred thousand covered lives.” He said a mature Ohio program would likely cover about 10,000 lives and defended voluntary compliance with state complaint processes: “We voluntarily comply with the department…