In March, the Washington D.C.-based nonprofit Future of Music Coalition completed an online survey of musicians regarding health insurance. Thirty-three percent of the more than 1,400 who responded were without insurance. By comparison, a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 15 percent of Americans without health insurance in 2009.

It’s impossible to know the exact numbers in Portland, but when Susannah Weaver was asked if she had insurance, her “No” came with an intonation that suggested it was the dumbest question she’d ever been asked.

The Columbus Music Co-op, which provides uninsured central Ohio musicians with money to help defray unexpected medical bills, was conceived in 2005 by Jess Faller and Erin Moore….”We can relate to how it feels,” said Faller, 31, who spent eight months without a job in 2008 after her position was eliminated at Huntington National Bank.

Undersoring her point: An April survey of 1,451 musicians conducted by the Washington advocacy group Future of Music Coalition found that a third of the respondents lacked health insurance - perhaps because of high costs, a lack of knowledge or a touring schedule that prohibits a full-time job with benefits.