Farmers warn higher health insurance costs loom as ACA subsidies expire (Progressive Farmer): Farmers and rural advocates say the expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits at the end of the year will lead to steep increases in 2026 health insurance costs, forcing many agricultural families to make difficult financial decisions. These subsidies, which helped keep monthly costs manageable for people buying marketplace plans, were not extended by Congress before the open-enrollment deadline. Without them, premiums and out-of-pocket expenses are expected to rise sharply, potentially pushing some farmers to delay investments, cut other expenses, or even reconsider their ability to remain in business. The increase comes at a time when many producers already face tight margins, limited access to employer-based insurance, and elevated financial pressures.
The piece also highlights that farmers and ranchers may turn to alternatives such as Farm Bureau health plans, which have drawn increased interest because they can offer lower premiums, though they may lack full coverage protections. Agricultural leaders argue that affordable ACA coverage has been an important economic support for rural families, enabling them to take risks like expanding operations or bringing in the next generation. With lawmakers still negotiating possible solutions, many in rural America are bracing for the impacts of higher health care costs beginning in January.
Lawmakers move to loosen school milk restrictions (Civil Eats): Yesterday, Congress passed the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, a bill that would change longstanding school-meal nutrition rules to let public schools serve whole cow’s milk alongside reduced-fat and fat-free options, and also make it easier to offer nutritionally equivalent non-dairy milks like fortified soy. Under current National School Lunch Program standards, only low-fat and fat-free milk have been permitted; the new legislation removes that restriction and, if signed by the president, gives schools broader choice in milk offerings. This change has been a priority of dairy industry groups and had bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress.
The proposal has drawn both praise and concern. Supporters argue it restores important nutrients and choice to school meals and benefits children who dislike low-fat milk, while also expanding access to plant-based options for students who are lactose intolerant without requiring a doctor’s note. Critics, including some health advocacy groups, caution that introducing whole milk could increase saturated fat in children’s diets at a time when many already exceed recommended limits. The bill’s provisions would also exclude milk’s saturated fat from schools’ nutritional calculations, a key change from current guidelines.