At the end of last year, Indiana Farm Bureau Health Plans had more than 4,150 active plans in place – a growth of over 30% from 2022.
The plans now cover nearly 9,000 Hoosier lives.
About 37% of those applying to INFB Health Plans are new INFB members, which highlights the continuing need for affordable health care.
“The fact that over a third of all new plan holders are new to Farm Bureau shows that the need is still there and that INFB Health Plans is a major component for new members when they join INFB,” said Steve Allen, INFB Health Plans manager.
While more urban areas such as Hamilton, Hendricks, Lake, Marion and Vigo counties had the greatest number of enrolled plans in 2023, counties in rural areas saw significant growth over the past year. Most notably, Huntington, Martin and Miami counties all had year-over-year growth rates of more than 75%.
“INFB Health Plans was created to address a significant need: providing our members with more affordable, reliable health care,” said INFB President Randy Kron. “We are pleased to see growth in these areas because it means we are accomplishing exactly what we set out to do and making a real difference for rural families across the state.”
Counties on the southeastern border of the state (Dearborn, Ohio and Switzerland counties) saw a combined average year-over-year growth of 64%. The southwestern border (Gibson, Posey and Vanderburgh counties) saw a similar trend over the same period with a combined average increase of 40%.
“The increase in plans along portions of the state border could be attributed to the availability of nationwide in-network providers via UnitedHealthcare, which allows members to cross state lines to receive the appropriate medical treatment without fear of being out-of-network,” Allen said.
For the first time since inception, INFB Health Plans did see a rate increase of 12% for Traditional Health Plans, specifically the Classic and Advanced Choice plans.
“The rate increase is due to an uptick in the number of high-limit claims,” Allen explained. “INFB Health Plans’ rate increase is on par with rate increases from other health care offerings on the market. However, our rates still remain lower and very competitive compared to other plans offered.”
To learn more about INFB Health Plans or apply for coverage, visit www.INFBhealthplans.com.