In a May 2003 agreement brokered by AFTRA, the nation’s four major record labels and approximately 1,200 of their
subsidiary labels agreed to make health benefits available for all artists on their rosters. The centerpiece of the agreement is an innovative structure that guarantees access to health insurance under the AFTRA Health Plan to all AFTRA covered royalty artists under exclusive contract to a label. Visit this page to learn more about this agreement, which was re-ratified in May 2008, and whether you qualify for coverage. read more
Half the battle in understanding health insurance is figuring out the lingo and keeping all the terms straight. Here’s a glossary with the most commonly-used terms.
Have you used HINT — FMC’s Health Insurance Navigation Tool — to learn more about your health insurance options? Help us make this process better by providing us with some feedback.
Thanks for tuning in, and for hanging tight. As usual, we’ve been
hard at work on many fronts since we last wrote – organizing events,
writing, drafting responses to FCC rules, engaging with the low power
radio community, learning more about digital distribution services, and
grantwriting. We thank everyone who wrote sent us feedback about newsletter
#27 – we’re glad it was informative! But we also heard that
the newsletters are too long. So…we’re putting on our “economy
of language” hats for this report as well as shifting some longer
pieces to the website where folks can peruse them at their leisure. Let
us know if this makes the newsletters more readable. And now, the news:
In 2002, FMC released the results of an online survey to gauge the level of health insurance among working musicians. The survey found that, of the nearly 2,700 respondents, 44 percent of them did not have health insurance. This report details the results of the survey, discusses the grave consequences of having so many creators uninsured in America and articulates FMC’s plan to tackle the issue on behalf of musicians. read more
Hello again. It’s hard to believe how much we’ve tackled
in the five weeks that have passed since the last newsletter; from participating
in the webcasting debate, to moving forward on our health insurance study,
to filing comments with the FCC. Chalk it up to persistence, concern,
and more hours of daylight. Now, shortly before this newsletter’s release,
we get word from the US Copyright Office that the Librarian of Congress
has rejected the CARP proposals regarding webcasting rates and reporting
requirements. While the Office’s announcement did not include any particular
reasons for the rejection, we assume that the collective effort made by
webcasters, artists, and citizen groups to include their voices in the
debate has had an effect on the process.
Who can believe it’s almost summer again in Washington, DC? The "budding"
music-tech activism and "full-flower" of legislative comment
requests are so prevalent right now they are giving the cherry blossoms
a run for their money. Actually, we wouldn’t know about the status of
the cherry blossoms; we’ve been watching the changing season through the dusty windows of our
laptops. Hey, it may not be as breathtaking as a dogwood tree in full
bloom but changes like the ones we’ve been watching are always beautiful.
Check out the newest success stories.
We would first like to express our condolences over the recent passing
of Billboard magazine editor Timothy White. Tim’s passing on June 27 was
a devastating loss to the musicians’ community. Tim had shown incredible
courage in world of publishing by keeping a watchful eye on an industry
that ultimately supported the magazine’s livelihood. He will be sorely missed.