Remember back in March 2010 when we told you about FMC’s “Taking the Pulse” survey, which aimed to find out how many musicians currently have health insurance, how they’re covered, and if not, the reasons why?
In late May we finished crunching the numbers and found that, of the 1,451 respondents, 33 percent said they do not have health insurance. This is nearly twice the national average of 17 percent uninsured, as estimated by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
The survey data suggests that cost and lack of awareness leave many musicians uninsured. 86 percent of survey respondents who don’t have coverage say it’s because they can’t afford it, but in advising musicians through our Health Insurance Navigation Tool (HINT) program, FMC has discovered that some musicians who think they can’t afford coverage may not be fully aware of all the public and private health insurance options available to them.
The results also underscore the structural barriers that musicians face in navigating a health insurance system that’s largely based on employer-provided coverage. Musicians and artists often work on a freelance basis — performing or composing for specific events, albums or projects — with compensation based on a contracted arrangement. Since they are usually not employees of any particular institution or corporation, they must seek out individual health insurance policies. Some music organizations, unions and service organizations offer group plans to their members, but the survey data suggests that musicians’ awareness of these plans is low, although they would join an organization to get coverage.
Back in 2002, we conducted a similar survey that’s been widely cited for years. With the topic front-and-center for much of 2009 and 2010, we thought it was a perfect time to take another snapshot of artists’ level of coverage. While we were running the latest survey, Congress passed the Affordable Health Care Act, which instituted a number of new protections, tax credits and safety nets for citizens. But, because of this law, health insurance is no longer an option; by 2014, most Americans — including musicians — will be required to carry insurance.
Which means that now we’re going to have to start looking at the best ways for musicians to obtain coverage. This survey helps us get a better picture of where we stand right now, so that we can be better positioned to make sure the reforms are working for artists as the various components are enacted.
Check out the survey results here.