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National Grange Believes Medicare Part D is Critical to Farmers
WASHINGTON, April 6, 2006 – Today, William Steel, president of the National Grange, the nation’s oldest general farm and rural public affairs organization, called on Congress and the Bush Administration to increase outreach and education resources in farming communities regarding the importance of timely sign-up for the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Program.
“Successful implementation of the Medicare Part D Program in our nation’s farming communities through a wide variety of market-based plans will be critical to the personal health of farmers who are instructmental in securing our nation’s food and renewable energy supplies,” Steel said.
Analysis recently conducted by the National Grange on the nation’s farm population using data from the USDA’s Census of Agriculture has revealed that the Medicare Part D prescription drug program will have an increasing and important economic and quality of life impact on family farmers in the United States.
According to the USDA, 33 percent of the nearly 2.2 million farm operators in the United States are currently over the age of 65. Taking into account the diversity in the size of these farm operations, the diversity in the crops and livestock produced on these farms, and the market conditions that have prevailed in the agriculture sector over the past five years, the National Grange’s analysis has concluded that more family farmers and their spouses over the age of 65 will receive greater direct financial benefits from participating in the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Program than they will from participating in federal farm commodity support programs, as administered under the 2002 Farm Bill.
Steel, a 65-year-old wheat farmer, noted that lifelong family farmers often want to remain active in their farming operations after the traditional age of retirement because the physical and mental stimulation of farming helps keep them healthy and gives them a purpose. In addition, Steel noted that an increasing number of couples and individuals who have not been actively involved in farming, during their primary careers, are electing to take up farming in their retirement years as a way to stay active and healthy, as well as to generate additional retirement income. Steel further stated that he anticipates this trend of retirement farming to increase as the “baby boomer” generation reaches retirement age.
“Access to affordable prescription drugs through a variety of market-based coverage choices, as currently provided under the Medicare Part D Program, will directly support the healthy lifestyle decisions of traditional and retirement career farmers who want to be involved in agriculture production in their later years,” Steel said.
The National Grange is the nation’s oldest general farm and rural public affairs organization. Founded in 1867, the National Grange represents individuals Grange members affiliated with more than 2,800 local, county and state Grange chapters in farming and rural communities across the United States. |
