It is that time of year again where open enrollment for health insurance and Medicare are all around us. It can be complex and confusing. The best advice is to find a knowledgeable agent to help.

As farmers prepare for 2026, they should be aware that the cost of health insurance is rising, and for dairy farmers, finding affordable and comprehensive coverage will be challenging. 

Now is the time to identify your current health insurance plan and decide to either stick with the status quo or change benefit plans. If you’re fortunate to be happy with what you have, then a simple reenrollment works. If your operation has changed over the year – budget and payroll – you might need to reevaluate your offerings.

Mental health is a critical, wide-ranging topic. Like-minded individuals rooted in the agricultural world, while often skilled at building walls around themselves and their thoughts and actions, are never immune from its wide-ranging influences.

There are solutions that can help farmers avoid medical debt. From negotiation to financial assistance, there are options, but where do you begin?

Don’t be afraid to compensate well and provide annual, merit-based raises or bonus structures into the employee budget. Good employees are hard to come by, and keeping them will be much easier than finding them again.