NEW YORK, NY—November 21, 2024—Writing plays (or musicals or operas) for a career can be a risky business—and not just because it’s tough to make a living in the performing arts but because dramatists are often on their own in finding and maintaining health insurance coverage. United Hospital Fund, with grant support from Venturous Theater Fund, today released Risky Business: A Guide for Dramatists (and Other Theater Workers) on Finding Affordable Health Coverage and Care, a comprehensive, free online guidebook to help dramatists navigate the often-bewildering world of health insurance, find affordable coverage and care, and become their own best advocates. The guide, though focused on New York, includes thumbnail sketches of coverage resources in other states as well.
“Dramatists have a tough row to hoe when it comes to finding affordable health care,” says Peter Newell, director of United Hospital Fund’s Health Insurance Project, Patricia S. Levinson Fellow, and lead author of the guidebook. “But there have never been more affordable options available, and there are plenty of unbiased , free counselors out there that understand dramatists’ unique situations and want to help people find coverage.”
The guide will help dramatists and other performing arts professionals without employer or union health plans navigate the complex world of health insurance. It will help them identify and select health insurance plans and provide information on how to access essential resources they may not know are available, including free, one-on-one counseling from the Entertainment Community Fund, emergency grants from the Dramatists Guild Foundation, and more. The guide offers easy-to-understand information on such topics as “Obamacare” plans, public programs like Medicaid and Medicare, and state and federal COBRA rules (which let you keep your employer’s health plan for a limited time after you leave your job). The guide also offers tips on how to avoid scams and “junk insurance,” access to discounted medical care and prescriptions when you are uninsured, and find consumer assistance.
David Henry Hwang, the Tony Award®-winning playwright, lyricist and librettist, a member of the Dramatists Guild council, and a board member of the Entertainment Community Fund, praised the guide:
"If you think it's hard for playwrights to get their work in front of audiences, it can be even harder for playwrights to get themselves to a doctor for proper health care. It's very challenging for a dramatist to pursue their craft while also maintaining a full-time job with health benefits. This new guide from United Hospital Fund is an invaluable—not to mention free—resource for theater makers who may discover that affordable health care is not as inaccessible as they think. Particularly in an industry where we are encouraged to 'break a leg,' a pathway to proper health care is simply a necessity."
As independent contractors, dramatists are particularly vulnerable when it comes to accessing health insurance. Many don’t have full-time jobs that offer health benefits, and union plans in place for other theater artists are not an option. Income from a variety of sources that varies widely from month to month makes looking for affordable coverage even more complicated.
The guide is organized into three “Acts.” Act I features an FAQ-style script for finding coverage in New York State; Act II details extra help available to find care if you don’t have insurance, or to get the most out of the coverage you have; and Act III lists resources for coverage for those living in other states besides New York.
While the guide was designed to help dramatists find health coverage, it will also be useful to others in the entertainment industry who do not have coverage through an employer or a union and face many of the same challenges.
The guide was researched and written by Mr. Newell and Amy Lin, special assistant for policy and program at United Hospital Fund. The Entertainment Community Fund and the Dramatists Guild of America provided valuable assistance.
A variety of prominent people in the entertainment community are praising Risky Business: A Guide for Dramatists (and Other Theater Workers) on Finding Affordable Health Coverage and Care:
From Annette Bening, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Entertainment Community Fund: “As Chair of the Entertainment Community Fund, I see firsthand the challenges faced by dramatists and other performing arts professionals in securing and maintaining affordable health insurance. This guide, combined with advice from the Community Fund’s experts, can help make sense of it all, and at no cost to you. Our deepest thanks to the Venturous Theater Fund for supporting United Hospital Fund and the Entertainment Community Fund’s efforts to help our country’s playwrights.”
From Brooke Shields, President, Actors’ Equity Association: “This is an excellent resource for all theater people—including actors and stage managers – to find health care coverage when they are not on a union insurance plan. United Hospital Fund’s guide is free and shows that finding affordable healthcare is not as difficult as one might think.”
From Amanda Green, composer, lyricist, and President, Dramatists Guild of America: “Thanks to The Dramatists Guild, theater writers own our copyrights and have full creative control of our work. Unfortunately, dramatists have been classified by the courts as independent contractors, not “employees,” so we can't unionize and negotiate with employers to obtain health insurance. Even other theater workers who are in unions are often unable to benefit from their health care plans due to the high bar of employment and money earned per year that is required to qualify for that coverage. This is why United Hospital Fund’s guide is such an invaluable resource, not just for members of the Dramatists Guild but all theater industry workers. By providing an essential tool for finding affordable health care, the guide makes navigating this process feel less daunting and complicated.”
From Kirsten Childs, composer, librettist, lyricist; council member, The Dramatists Guild of America: "Pop Quiz ...1) Writing. 2) Rewriting. 3) Making the decision to cut a song that you worked so hard on but that you also know is doing nothing to push your story forward. 4) Listening to your first draft being read for the first time. 5) Health care. ...Which of the above is a major concern for theater writers? The answer, of course, is ALL of the above. But I’m happy to report that United Hospital Fund and Venturous Theater Fund have released a new guide for accessing affordable coverage and care. So prepare to strike Number 5 off the list!"
From Renata Marinaro, Managing Director of Health Services, the Entertainment Community Fund:“There’s a lot of information online about health insurance, but none of it is written by unbiased experts with dramatists in mind. This guide is like getting a head start with an expert. We are grateful to the United Hospital Fund for their excellent work in simplifying a complex topic.”
The guidebook can be downloaded free of charge on UHF’s website: uhfnyc.org/dramatistshealth
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About United Hospital Fund
United Hospital Fund works to build an effective and equitable health care system for every New Yorker. An independent, nonprofit organization, we are a force for improvement, analyzing public policy to inform decision-makers, finding common ground among diverse stakeholders, and developing and supporting innovative programs that improve health and health care. We work to dismantle barriers in health policy and health care delivery that prevent equitable opportunities for health. For more on our initiatives and programs please visit our website at www.uhfnyc.org and follow us on LinkedIn, X., Instagram, and Facebook.
About Venturous Theater Fund
Venturous Theater Fund (VTF) is honored to support this project through its donor-advised fund, the Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation. VTF makes grants to fund the production of plays that are “venturous”—ambitious in scale, epic in scope, challenging in form, controversial in subject matter, experimental in concept, and/or unabashed in their theatricality. VTF also funds artist-driven initiatives that embrace agency for playwrights at all stages of their careers, and that champion creative growth and financial security for dramatists. These include playwright fellowships, opportunities for collaboration across national boundaries, the Legacy Playwrights Initiative for elder writers, and healthcare/health insurance resources. More atwww.VenturousTheaterFund.org.