US EditionAlabama lawmakers approve bill to let Alfa sell health benefit plans
- On Thursday, the Alabama Senate passed a bill by a 30-2 vote permitting the Alabama Farmers Federation to offer health insurance plans to its members and new enrollees.
- The bill aims to offer a less expensive option as rising insurance costs and financial pressures drive demand among farmers and rural residents.
- The plans offer coverage for medical appointments and related expenses but do not meet the legal definition of health insurance and therefore are exempt from Affordable Care Act regulations.
- Orr mentioned that a dozen states, such as Tennessee and Iowa, have enacted comparable legislation. Advocates highlighted the bill as a necessary and more affordable choice for farmers and others facing high health care expenses, while critics cautioned that the plans could bypass federal rules and potentially refuse coverage for individuals with preexisting medical conditions.
- The bill now awaits Governor Kay Ivey’s signature and could create an alternative market for health benefits, although oversight and coverage protections remain debated.
17 Articles
17 Articles
Alabama lawmakers approve bill to let ALFA sell health benefit plans
State lawmakers on Thursday approved legislation that will allow the Alabama Farmers Federation to sell health care plans to their members that can bypass federal requirements and turn people away for preexisting conditions.
Bill allowing Farmers Federation to offer health plans goes to governor
A bill that would authorize the Alabama Farmers Federation to offer health coverage plans to its members is headed to the desk of Gov. Kay Ivey to be signed into law. After being amended 18 times in the House, House Bill 477 by Rep. David Faulkner, R-Mountain Brook, escaped further changes in the Senate despite attempts to add coverage for pre-existing conditions by Senate minority leader Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro. Singleton tried to add the…
Bill allowing Alfa health benefit plans passes Alabama Senate
Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, speaks to a colleague on the floor of the Alabama Senate on April 3, 2025 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. The Alabama Senate Thursday approved a bill handled by Orr in the Senate that would allow the Alabama Farmers Federation to sell health care plans to members. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector)The Alabama Senate passed a bill Thursday to allow the state’s dominant agricultural organization to offer …
Oskaloosa Herald
Alabama lawmakers approve bill to let Alfa sell health benefit plans
State lawmakers have approved legislation that would allow the Alabama Farmers Federation to offer health care coverage to its members that would not be regulated as health insurance. The Alabama Senate approved the bill Thursday. The bill now goes to…
Ivey signs economic development legislation; Homewood council approves Brookwood Village plan; Construction Partners acquires Tennessee companies; University of Mobile inaugurates president
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed legislation creating the Alabama Development Fund, which will provide funding for the state’s economic development efforts.
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