health insurance

Obamacare is in Trouble, but Musicians Should Sign Up Anyway

One of Donald Trump’s central campaign promises was to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), popularly known as Obamacare. Trump memorably pledged to scrap the law “on day one” and replace it with “something terrific,” though details were scarce. Since Trump’s election, many newly insured musicians have found themselves wondering what to do in the face of this uncertainty.

There’s no consensus in Congress about what system might replace Obamacare. Health care advocates like us are watching closely to see what changes might be most likely, and which provisions are likely to stay intact.

A New Cause for Funders: Helping Bands Fix the Tour Van

By Tate Williams

Inside Philanthropy

May 12, 2016

It’s tough to make a living from artistic pursuits, and music is no exception. The nonprofit Future of Music Coalition conducted a study that found the vast majority of musicians are working or middle-class earners, and more than half of musicians surveyed make less than $25,000 a year from their music, and about a quarter make less than $5,000. Another FMC survey found that in 2013 (pre-Obamacare), 43 percent didn’t have health insurance.

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Health Insurance is Still a Work-in-Progress for Artists and Performer

By Renata Marinaro

Creativz

March 9, 2016

In 2013, prior to the beginning of many of the major provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Future of Music Coalition (FMC) and the Artists’ Health Insurance Resource Center conducted an online survey of US-based artists about their access to insurance. The survey found that, of the 3,402 artist respondents, 43 percent did not currently have health insurance.

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Obamacare Open Enrollment: What You Need to Know

by Kelsey Butterworth, Policy Intern and Kevin Erickson, Communications & Outreach Manager

As of November 1, enrollment for the Affordable Care Act (better known as Obamacare) is once again open, which means it’s a counterintuitively exciting time to be an artist without medical insurance. The ACA does what its name implies, and for musicians lacking coverage, it can be a critical step in leading a long and productive life. read more

Health Insurance Marketplace Enrollment Deadline Extended In Many States

by Kevin Erickson, Communications & Outreach Manager

Did you miss Sunday’s deadline to sign up for health insurance, due to trouble with the website, long hold times waiting for telephone assistance, or just snowy weather? You may be in luck. read more

Health Insurance And The Modern Musician

By Nina Small

American Songwriter

March 27, 2014

The Future of Music Coalition, a non-profit advocacy organization for musicians, conducted a survey in August which revealed that 42 percent of professional musicians lacked any form of health insurance – a number that is nearly twice the national average. Thankfully, a movement is afoot to change that: read more.

Will Play for Health Care (at Least at One Music Event)

By Ben Sisario

The New York Times

November 15, 2013

In the national debate over health care and the Affordable Care Act, one sliver of the population has received relatively little attention: musicians, artists and other creative workers, who are often self-employed and frequently uninsured. A recent survey by two arts groups found that 43 percent of artists of all kinds said they had no health insurance; for musicians, the number was 53 percent. The national average, according to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, is 17.7 percent. read more

Obamacare Offers Musicians A Lifeline— If They Can Understand It

By Glenn Peoples

Billboard

November 5, 2013

Musicians, uninsured at greater rates than the general population in the United States, are coming to grasp the impact of the Affordable Care Act, the health-care reform law known as Obamacare. But like most Americans, they have a lot of learning to do.

A new survey found that 43% of creative artists and 53% of musicians lack health insurance. Conducted in July and August by the Future of Music Coalition and the Artists’ Health Insurance Resource Center, the survey covers musicians as well as visual artists, filmmakers, actors and other creative professionals. Previous FMC surveys found 42% and 33% of musicians were uninsured in 2002 and 2010, respectively. read more

43% of [Artists] in America Lack Any Form of Health Insurance

By Paul Resnikoff

Digital Music News

October 29, 2013

That’s according to a recent survey from the Future of Music Coalition, which found musicians to be ‘chronically under-insured’ and drastically below national (US) insurance averages. And perhaps unsurprisingly, the more dedicated you are to your craft,the less likely you are to be insured.

The reasons are strikingly simple. Also unsurprisingly, roughly 88% of all [artists] lacking health insurance simply couldn’t afford it.

[…] read more

Artists and the Affordable Care Act

It’s been a crazy couple of days here in DC. With all the hubhub over the government shutdown and general Congressional dysfunction, two of the most important pieces of news have been drowned out:

1. The Affordable Care Act is moving forward, and the health insurance exchanges opened today. This is an online marketplace where those who are currently uninsured, and those who pay for their own insurance now, can look at different plans, compare prices and get coverage. read more

Obamacare is in Trouble, but Musicians Should Sign Up Anyway

A New Cause for Funders: Helping Bands Fix the Tour Van