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

Are you a musician or songwriter? Are you an actor or filmmaker? A dancer? Visual artist? Writer? No matter what type of artist you are, we have a question for you: do you currently have health insurance?

From today until August 31, 2013, Future of Music Coalition, Fractured Atlas and the Artists’ Health Insurance Resource Center (AHIRC) are joining forces with artist service organizations across the country to take the pulse of the artist community regarding access to health insurance via an online survey. read more

Are you a musician, visual artist, dancer, actor, filmmaker or other artist living in the NYC area?

Are you interested in making $50?

If you answered YES to both questions, we invite you to participate in a focus group on Wednesday, March 7 about artists and health insurance.  The meeting will be 90 minutes long and held at a subway-accessible location in Manhattan.

Email artistfocusgroup [at] reingold [dot] com (subject: Chicago%20focus%20group) or call 202-333-0400 and ask for Jillian to find out how you can get involved!

Please share widely with your artist friends.  We want to hear from a diverse range of NYC area artists.

Big Star was an amazing band from Memphis, TN that put out a couple of records in the late 70s that are seminal in the rock canon.  In fact, you probably know one of their songs: “In the Street” was used as the theme song of “That 70s Show” (though that’s Cheap Trick, not Big Star, performing the song).

The lead singer/songwriter of Big Star was Alex Chilton, who as a teenager was in the band The Boxtops. Alex passed away last March of a heart attack. He didn’t have health insurance at the time. read more

Last fall we told you about the documentary D TOUR  which follows Pat Spurgeon, whose promising indie-rock career as a member of the band Rogue Wave suffers an incredible setback when one of his kidneys begins to fail. D TOUR chronicles Pat’s search for a living organ donor and the challenges associated with finding a viable match. Pat’s choice to keep touring and working toward the band’s goals is put to the test; the absolute need to perform dialysis daily and to focus on his health became top priority while being on the road. D TOUR also addresses issues with the health care system, the lack of affordable insurance, and the importance of organ donation.

Last September, D TOUR was shown all around the country as a part of the Emmy® Award-winning series Independent Lens. If you missed your chance to see it then, D TOUR is screening for free in Los Angeles, CA this Saturday, June 12 at 2pm at the Paley Media Center as part of the Donate Life Film Festival. Musician Pat Spurgeon and filmmaker Jim Granato will be at the screening to receive an Inspire award from Donate Life for our contributions in sharing Pat’s amazing story of how he went through kidney failure, ultimately getting a transplant all while touring with his band Rogue Wave.