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The University of Illinois’ revised Insurance Evaluator helps producers compare crop-insurance combinations that include the Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO), Enhanced Coverage Option (ECO) and COMBO plans. Announced by farmdoc daily on February 10, 2026, the web-based simulator incorporates recent increases in premium support for those products. Its results are scenario estimates—not quotes or a recommendation for every farm.
What the revised Insurance Evaluator does
Developed jointly by the University of Illinois Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, the evaluator models a case farm. Producers enter a state, county, crop, acreage, yields and insurance plan, then review results by county, crop and plan selection. The revised layout is designed to make it easier to compare SCO and ECO alongside other coverage choices. farmdoc daily’s February 10, 2026 release describes the tool and its example scenarios.
For COMBO coverage, the evaluator lets users consider Revenue Protection (RP), RP with the Harvest Price Exclusion (RP-HPE), or Yield Protection (YP). Compare Mode can be used to put different coverage combinations side by side.
How to set up and compare scenarios
- Enter the case-farm details. Choose the state, county and crop, then enter acreage and yield information, along with the insurance plan and coverage selections.
- Choose a baseline. Start with the coverage combination you currently hold or are considering, such as RP at a selected coverage level.
- Add or change options. Model ECO or SCO with COMBO coverage, or compare a lower COMBO coverage level paired with area-based coverage.
- Run Compare Mode. Review the modeled premium, risk measures and potential net insurance benefit for each scenario. Treat outputs as estimates tied to the inputs and assumptions used.
The tool’s published example uses 500 acres of soybeans in McLean County, Illinois, an average Actual Production History (APH) yield of 67.05 bushels per acre, and a farm trend-adjusted (TA) yield of 70 bushels per acre. Those details matter: the example is not a quote for another county, crop or farm.
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What the Illinois soybean example shows
In one comparison, farmdoc daily models RP at 85% coverage with no ECO and with ECO at 90% or 95%. The table reports the example’s modeled farmer-paid premium and net insurance benefit per acre.
| McLean County soybean scenario | Modeled farmer-paid premium | Modeled net insurance benefit |
|---|---|---|
| RP at 85%, no ECO | $6.77 per acre | -$0.64 per acre |
| RP at 85% with ECO at 90% | $8.38 per acre | $3.41 per acre |
| RP at 85% with ECO at 95% | $11.94 per acre | $13.60 per acre |
These are the source’s illustrative model outputs for its 500-acre enterprise-unit case and stated yield assumptions, not current premium quotes or guaranteed returns. The article says results depend on projected price, volatility factor and futures price; official RMA projected prices and volatility factors are used when released. Changes in those inputs can change the modeled results.
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How SCO and ECO differ from individual-farm protection
RP and other COMBO coverage protect against losses measured using the insured farm’s production and policy terms. SCO and ECO are area-based options: their payments depend on county-level outcomes. As a result, an individual farm can suffer a yield loss without the county loss being large enough to trigger an SCO or ECO payment. This mismatch is basis risk.
Area coverage may be relevant when a producer wants additional protection against broad county revenue declines. But it does not simply replace farm-level coverage: it responds to a different measure of loss and may pay in different circumstances.
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Can you lower RP coverage when adding SCO or ECO?
The evaluator’s scenarios include lowering RP coverage while adding SCO and ECO. In some combinations examined, this approach can reduce farmer-paid premium while maintaining similar modeled net revenue. That does not mean the combinations are interchangeable or that the same result will hold on another farm. A similar modeled net revenue can conceal meaningful differences in when a payment is triggered and which risks are covered.
- Farm-versus-county loss: Consider how closely your farm’s yields track the county’s. A weak relationship increases the chance that your farm’s loss and an area-based payment will not line up.
- Prevent-plant exposure: Lowering COMBO coverage reduces prevent-plant payments. County products do not provide prevent-plant protection, so a producer who prioritizes this exposure should account for that trade-off.
- Premium and payment likelihood: Compare the cost of each combination with its modeled probability of triggering a payment, not just a single net-benefit figure.
- Payment timing: Individual RP coverage commonly settles after harvest. SCO and ECO payments generally follow release of official county yields, usually in the following June, so area-based payments may arrive later.
How to use the results for a coverage decision
Use the evaluator to identify combinations worth discussing, then test assumptions that reflect your operation. Pay particular attention to the county and crop selected, your acreage and yield inputs, price and volatility assumptions, prevent-plant needs, and the relationship between farm and county yields. A scenario is useful only to the extent that its inputs represent the risks you are trying to manage.
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The evaluator provides analysis, not individualized insurance advice or a binding quote. Before changing coverage, review farm-specific options and costs with a qualified crop insurance professional.
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