Traveling musicians, like other self-employed people in the U.S., face the enormous difficulty of finding affordable, accessible health insurance. Here are the two options we now have:
1. NEW HEALTH CARE OPTION: SoundHealthCare
Local 1000 is pleased to announce a new health care option for our membership. SoundHealthCare has worked for years with the Country Music Association, the Gospel Music Association, and more recently our friends at Local 257 (Nashville) and the International Bluegrass Music Association developing discounted, customized health care plans for music professionals.
Click here for details: http://ahcpsales.com/SoundHealthcare/AFM1000.html
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2. CONTINUING HEALTH BENEFIT PLAN
Local 1000 continues to offers it members a health benefit plan that provides valuable medical insurance to thousands of musicians and their families through Local 802 in New York City.
This plan covers doctor visits, lab fees and long term prescription coverage for people in the east coast area. While it unfortunately does not cover hospitalization (the fee that goes directly to the hospital for providing a bed), it does cover in-hospital physician services, including surgeon and anesthesiologist fees, up to a cap based on which plan you enroll in.
How to get on the Local 802 plan:
For each gig you perform under a Local 1000 LS-1 contract, the employer can contribute to the benefit plan on your behalf. As with the pension plan, you can include this contribution in your fee and write a check to the plan yourself, as long as your take-home wages remain over Local 1000 scale. Contact us to learn how to include this provision in your contracts.
Plan A
- Requires $1,300 in employer contributions within a six-month period (for example, 25 engagements covered by the LS-1 contract, with a $43 contribution for each gig)
- Premiums of $35 per month (or $105 per quarter) for individual coverage, and $135 per month (or $405 per quarter) for family coverage
- Covers up to $50,000 per illness per family member
- Includes prescription coverage
Plan B
- Requires $500 in employer contributions within a six-month period (for example, 20 engagements covered by the LS-1 contract, with a $20 contribution for each gig)
- Covers up to $5,000 per illness per family member
NOTE: Members who reside in the New York City area may also have access to HMO coverage, which includes hospitalization. For more information contact the Local 1000 office.
For further information please contact the Local 1000 office, Local 1000 office or 212.843.8726
Other Options
To find other options for health and prescription coverage, visit these resources:
www.AHIRC.org is a program of the Actors Fund, based in New York City to help connect artists to health care everywhere. This helpful website is designed for performing artists to answer questions and assist in finding the best health care solution in an often dismal landscape.
With skyrocketing premiums and growing numbers people of uninsured and underinsured people, the U.S. health care system is in a state of crisis. This is a problem no single labor union or sector of society can solve alone. We encourage our members to support organizations and individuals working to change this situation. Universal Health Care Action Network is a national organization with chapters in 37 states working on this issue. Universal Health Care Action Network is a national organization with chapters in 37 states working on this issue. You can visit them at www.uhcan.org.
Other organizations at the national and state levels are listed at http://www.AHIRC.org/healthcarereform.html.
