In “Will Play for Health Care (at Least at One Music Event) by Ben Sisario, we are introduced to a severe problem faced by many self-employed musicians. Beginning just the Friday past, a three-day festival, called the O+ Festival, began. The O+ Festival was started by Joe Concra, a painter who help start the event three years ago in Kingston, N.Y. with the goal of exchanging art for health treatment in what can be deemed as a barter system. It had come to Mr. Concra’s attention that many artists (painters, singers, songwriters, creative workers, etc.) do not have health insurance. A recent survey stated that 43 percent of all artists and 53 percent of musicians did not have health insurance. These numbers contrast starkly to the national average of 17.7 percent.
The main reason why many creative workers are uninsured is that they are self-employed. Sure, some of them receive health benefits from their day jobs, spouses, or unions. However, there are also many who solely concentrate on their music and are, as said before, self-employed. For example, Richard Buckner, an independent singer-songwriter, 49, was billed $8000 for dental work on his front tooth that fell out during his tour. To pay the hefty price, he had to schedule three additional tours through January. The big problem here is that everything he is earning through these three tours are not going to him – everything is going straight into the wallet of the dentist.
Currently, many industry organizations are working to guide creative workers through the new healthcare system. The changes to the system are allowing for the extension of young person’s coverage under his/her parents’ policies. Additionally, more subsidies are being offered for buying insurance plans. Unfortunately, the efforts to inform creative workers about the changes to the healthcare system is minimal. Many creative workers, managers, and business representatives are befuddled by the entirety of the system.
Even the organizations involved with leading creative workers through the new health plans are concerned that their efforts are not effectively because their voices are small and decentralized to rise above the the national, political debate about the Affordable Health Care. These organizations include HeadCount, the Actors Fund, and MusiCares. MusiCares is a charity supported mainly by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (this is the same organization responsible for the Grammy Awards).
For now, the main goal of these organizations is to spread the word. Mr. Concra’s O+ Festival definitely helps to reach that goal and it has been spreading farther since it’s inception three years ago.
I find it intriguing that many creative workers are uninsured. It’s baffling that, despite all the political debate going on about healthcare, an entire portion of the U.S. population has been overlooked. It’s admirable that organizations are reaching out to help these creative workers but it will be a tough ride as there’s much political healthcare debates not involved with insuring these artists in the news. However, Mr. Concra’s efforts with the O+ Festival definitely does not hurt the effort. Just last month, approximately $100,000 worth of arts and health services were exchanged.
So interesting. I’m curious though what exactly is being exchanged. i realize it is health benefits and art but is it from health insurance companies or specific doctors coming to this festival. Either way these artists are going to have a hard time come January because of Obama. Some may say it is a blessing that they will be taxed additionally until they get healthcare: I say it’s a burden. I am not happy that Mr. Concra had to tour additionally to pay his dentist’s expense but its his choice.
When I read your article, I really sympathize with Ben Sisario and Mr. Concra and concern about the prospect of O+ Festival. I usually perceive most self-employed artists as creative,inspirational, yet struggling with poverty before they become popular(unfortunately, most of them don’t). It is startling to see that many of the poor artists are uninsured and they have to exchange their work with medical treatment. The “bartering” might be an alternative to offset the expense but would it be a solution to change the financial and social status of these creators?
Very interesting, I agree with you that it is bizarre that no one is really focussing on this issue. I do think however, with the role out of Obamacare this will become a much smaller issue. If everyone else is getting assured I don’t see why artists wouldn’t jump on the band wagon and take the free government insurance as well. I think its really cool that the artists stick together and form their own organizations to help themselves. I think that is very admirable and something we all can appreciate.
I have to agree with Josh, the help of Obamacare will definitely lessen this issue and it is good to see that this idea is getting notice and help. We are told since we are young to do what we love, it shouldn’t be that you can’t get health care if what you love to do is in the arts field. These workers make so many people happy and have such amazing talents that it is extremely upsetting to hear the amount of whom have no healthcare. To think that you must set up extra tours for your exhibit simply to pay your dentist really puts this in perspective. Unions in general are being cut down and since this is a smaller collective movement it unfortunately makes sense that their voice isn’t heard. I really hope this problem is solved.
Honestly, I am not surprised that artists are not getting the healthcare that they deserve. Artists are very often overlooked when it comes to social policies. However, I find it interesting how even now they are uninsured. I understand that the healthcare plan was implemented only very recently, however I feel as though it progresses very slowly. If this is going to work, the government will have to work extra hard to make sure that they cover everyone, including artists that are struggling to get by otherwise.
It’s definitely cool that Ben Sisario is taking a new, (or a really really old depending on how you look at it) approach to solving a healthcare problem for a very large part of the population. That being said, this idea is ridiculous. Have you been to a doctors recently? The waiting rooms are like the 6 train during rush hour. Without getting too political on our eportfolio blog.. 🙂 artists like all people will have access to obama care which while it may not curtail to the needs of artists, is certainly better than paying $8,000 for a tooth problem.
This is certainly interesting. I’ve never even thought about this issue until you brought it up. Anyway, this whole health care for self-employed artists is intriguing. The barter system seems really revolutionary, and I sincerely hope that people can be better informed in the future. But most of all, hopefully Obamacare can be as helpful as it’s advertised to be.
This is interesting. I used to think that it was good that artists were self-employed, but I never took into consideration their health plans. Nonetheless, I think the responsibility of taking care of his/her health comes with being self-employed. Hopefully, with Obamacare in action, these artists will receive the needed healthcare, that is if Obamacare does last that long and is effective.
This reminds me of the advertisements I keep seeing on the train for the Freelancer’s Union. They probably felt the same way as Joe Concra, and I find it really sad that artists aren’t provided security like other jobs. But this festival sounds like such a great idea–although I am a little confused about it. So artists provide art (in whatever form they can) and doctors come to the festival and provide health care services? Somehow I doubt that insurance companies would accept that form of payment.
As questioned in previous comments, I am curious as to what is actually being exchanged in this barter system. Are health services being exchanged for art? Or are these artist receiving funds that are supposed to go to their health care? If the former is true, than what exactly is covered and what is not?
Can this problem actually be fixed through donations and reforms?
Because of the extent of this issue, I think more time, effort, and resources have to be committed in order to make a difference. Although the O+ festival is definitely a step in the right direction and, like you stated, doesn’t hurt, more has to be done in order to see a decrease in the number of uninsured artist. What that something is, I do not know.