Healthcare available to ag families
Linda Sappington
Farmers and ranchers qualify for healthcare from Lolo clinic.
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Quality low-cost healthcare is available to families involved in nearly every type of agriculture in Western Montana through the Montana Migrant Seasonal Farmworker Council, Inc., the same group that gives care to families that labor in cherry orchards along Flathead Lake each summer.
Yet year-round discounted medical care is available for anyone who dedicates at least 51 percent of their income — a majority of their work — in agriculture-related services.
Services are provided on a sliding scale; even if an individual cannot pay, they will still receive care.
The list defining “agricultural work” is long and includes beef cattle ranching, bee keeping, chicken egg production, potato and wheat farming and support services such as animal production. Care is also available for dependents and retired ag workers.
A year ago the federally grant-funded organization opened a satellite clinic in Lolo, staffed with a medical doctor and four nurse practitioners. Roughly half of the patients seen in the Lolo clinic are from Lake County, according to Kelsey Angel, outreach worker.
And the good news for local farmers and ranchers is that they don’t have to travel south. As long as the weather cooperates, medical care workers will come to Lake County via a mobile unit.
“To be able to take it out, we need five people who are willing to be seen on one day,” Angel said. “That could be one family.”
Getting the word out to Lake County farmers and ranchers is the key, Angel said. “The more people who are interested, the more likely (the mobile unit) would come and more often we would come.”
It just takes a phone call for potential patients to sign up, and workers will assess the patients’ primary medical care needs and discern what supplies to bring on the mobile unit. Up to 15 people can be seen in one day.
“As far as barriers to care, one of biggest is having to travel one or two hours to the nearest clinic,” Angel said.
Because the council has a history of serving the migrant workers in Lake County, local hospitals and pharmacies are already set up to take the vouchers the Council provides.
“That’s a benefit of being in Lake County,” Angel said. “We already have letters of agreement in place.”
For instance, if after an exam a patient needs a prescription filled, the patient is given a need-based voucher that is accepted at the pharmacy in Safeway in Polson. If a patient needs an x-ray, Providence St. Joseph Hospital is set up to accept vouchers as well.
Medical services that are directly provided — without the need for a doctor’s referral — include non-emergency dental care, general and urgent medical care, immunizations, medical diagnostic tests and screenings, hearing screenings, prenatal care, well-child exams, school and sports physicals, and family planning.
Also included are mental health services such as counseling, treatment and developmental screenings.
The Council provides additional services with a doctor’s referral, such as diagnostic x-rays, podiatry, occupational and physical therapy.
Those who wish to register for services can do so in person at the Lolo office, 9801 Valley Grove Drive, #D, or by calling (406) 273-4633.
Outreach workers are also certified counselors who can answer questions about the Affordable Care Act and facilitate enrollments by request online, over the phone and in-person. The enrollment service is available to the everyone, not just ag workers.
More information is available at Mtmigrantcouncil.org.
