Health care program seeks farm families

SEYMOUR - Health professionals are touting a program aimed at bringing health care to farm families in Outagamie County.

The County has formed a partnership with the Rural Health Initiative in the hope of raising the quality of care in the region.

Those behind the program say they're trying their best to attract farm folks who face numerous barriers when it comes to health care.

Rural Seymour residents listened closely as registered nurse Amanda Hatch talked about the Rural Health Initiative.

During a mini-tour of Outagamie County, she explained the effort that brings health care workers into the homes of farm workers.

"We can do testing on them like a blood pressure, we can do a lipid panel, so the total cholesterol, the LDL, the HDL so the bad and the good cholesterol. Triglycerides," said Hatch.

Hatch said farmers work long hours, and have long commute times to their doctors offices, so they're not getting the necessary preventative health and safety screenings. Insurance coverage is also a barrier.

According to the Rural Health Initiative, more than 18 percent of Wisconsin dairy farm families have no health insurance. Another 41 percent have high deductible plans that provide only major medical coverage. And four out of five lack health insurance that covers checkups and preventative care.

"A lot of our farmers, they are either under insured or they have a really high deductible. So $5-$10 thousand deductible. So they're just not going to get that preventative care piece.

The program, which covers Outagamie, Waupaca and Shawano Counties, is funded mostly through donations. The cost each year is $183 thousand dollars. $78 thousand is funneled into Outagamie County.

"If you look at the county budget, far and away the largest department, the largest services, is the health and human services budget. In fact we levy over $20 million every year in property taxes just to pay for health and human services," said Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson.

Nelson said the Rural Health Initiative's potential impact on the county budget is unknown, but he adds there will be savings nonetheless.

"If we can get early on to a problem while it's a little more cost effective to treat, not only are we going to be able to save money from the bottom line for our county budget, but we also have the real chance to actually save lives," said Nelson.

For more information about the Rural Health Initiative, click here .