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House approves bill allowing Farmers Federation to offer members a self‑funded health plan
Summary
The Alabama House passed HB 477 after several hours of debate on April 9, approving a law that lets the Alabama Farmers Federation offer a self‑funded health plan to its members with state-level guardrails and consumer protections.
The Alabama House of Representatives on April 9 approved HB 477, a bill authorizing the Alabama Farmers Federation (commonly called the Farm Bureau) to offer a self‑funded health plan to its members, with statutory guardrails that sponsors say exceed protections in similar plans in other states.
Supporters said the plan aims to help farmers and other self‑employed people who fall into a coverage gap — earning too much for Medicaid but too little to afford unsubsidized private insurance. Representative Chris Faulkner, the bill sponsor, said the plan “is not a plan for everyone. This is a plan that is offered to the members of the Farmers Federation.”
House members who backed the bill described it as a targeted option that has operated in other states for…
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