A new group health insurance program for Wisconsin farmers announced Monday is the first of its kind in the country and will serve as a model for others to follow, designers of the plan said.

The program promises to offer comprehensive insurance plans at cheaper rates than farmers could get on their own and with more extensive coverage and benefits.

Brad Lancaster of the Lafayette County Farm Services Agency said it isn't uncommon for local farmers to pay $1,000 a month for insurance.

"On top of that they have a $5,000 deductible," he added.

Green County University of Wisconsin-Extension Agriculture Agent Mark Mayer said studies show that 14 percent of all farmers don't have insurance and another 17 percent of farmers don't have catastrophic insurance.

"That's alarming when you consider farming is one of the most dangerous professions," he said. "It's hard for farmers to even get insurance in some cases because they have to pay such high premiums."

The new Farmers' Health Cooperative of Wisconsin relies on the collective bargaining power of the state's farmers and agri-businesses. In the works for three years, it was detailed at the news conference attended by U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., Gov. Jim Doyle and others who worked on the project.

Representative Brett Davis, R-Oregon, praised the insurance plan.

"Access to affordable health care is the No. 1 issue for Wisconsin residents and is seriously affecting the quality of life for all Wisconsin residents, but especially farmers Š," Davis said. "This innovative health care model proves that market-based solutions can be found to bring down the cost of health care and cover all Wisconsin residents."

Davis was the author of an Assembly bill signed into law last session which encouraged large group health purchasing cooperatives throughout Wisconsin as part of the Co-op Care program.

Kohl helped secure $4.4 million in federal money that is being used as the initial capital for the program. State law was also changed in 2003 to get the program started.

The plan is a cooperative, developed and governed by farmers. They and their families, farm employees as well as those who own or work for agriculture-related businesses, will be eligible to enroll in one of six health insurance plans with coverage starting April 1.

There's no magic number as to how many of the state's 72,000 farmers need to sign up in order to make the program work, said Bill Oemichen, president and CEO of the Wisconsin Federation of Cooperatives.

Oemichen said he expects farmers to have some skepticism as the plan is rolled out in March through a series of meetings across the state, but he hopes once they investigate what is being offered they will see it is a solid choice.

He did not have an estimate as to what the average cost for a person eligible under the plan would be, saying there are too many variables to calculate that.

Farmers now have to find other ways to get insurance, Mayer said.

"It's not uncommon for farmers or their spouses to work off the farm for insurance," Mayer said.

Green County Farm Services Agency Director Teresa Zimmer said insurance is one of the most important issues facing farmers. "It's a major financial burden," she said.

There's also a safety issue, she added. When farmers work a second job they are in more of a hurry to get things done, such as spring planting, fall harvesting and making hay in the summer. That can lead to accidents because they're just too busy to take their time to get things done safely.