Montana wheat farmer Dan Works felt so strongly about the impact that health insurance costs have on his business operation and family that he spoke out at a rural health forum held by Montana Sen. Max Baucus several weeks ago. While many producers keep mum about their business details, Works, 47, who farms midway between Loma and Big Sandy, didn’t mind sharing his specific expenses to help the public and lawmakers understand the problems rural folks face. Works, who has been farming for 27 years, pays $9,000 a year for a catastrophic health insurance plan with a steep, $5,000 deductible and 50 percent co-pays after the deductible has been reached. ‘Those payments are a lot of money in anybody’s realm,’ he said, ‘and represent more than 10 percent of my income.’ Works is certainly not alone. America’s farm and ranch families are paying top dollar for health insurance that inadequately covers their needs and causes them significant financial risk, according to a report released earlier this fall by The Access Project. The study was the first to closely examine the specific challenges and financial burdens that health care costs place on farmers and ranchers. […]