PA farmers face rising health care costs as ACA subsidies expire

Farming is a profession full of risks. It is physically strenuous and often involves dangerous heavy machinery. Accident reports include farmers falling into grain bins, trapped by farm machinery, shocked by equipment, and more. Farmworkers are also more exposed to chemicals, dust, and gases.

Then there’s the mental toll as farmers navigate challenges outside their control, from financial markets to natural disasters. Suicide rates among farmers are two to five times higher than the national average, according to the American Farm Bureau.

At the same time, most farmers have limited access to healthcare because of the high costs of being self-employed.

Over the years, tax credits and other subsidies included in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have helped lower premiums and made it easier f