Friday, October 02, 2020
New health plan for Equity members will require more work weeks for coverage
Broadway News: In a new plan unveiled Thursday by the Equity-League Health Fund, members will need to work 16 weeks to qualify for six months of coverage, compared to the previous threshold of 11 weeks. The health fund, which operates separately from Actors’ Equity, said the changes had to be made due to a lack of employer contributions, which make up 88% of the fund’s revenue.
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Ugh, I received this email yesterday from Equity and though I ran out of weeks last spring anyway, it still stings. I am astounded that the Equity-League Health Fund would roll out a plan like this in the middle of a pandemic. It is extremely disheartening and is giving me and other members high levels of anxiety as we do not know when we are going to get work again.
I also totally understand that the changes are ‘necessary’ in the sense that…well, yeah, our industry is shut down. Employer contributions are nonexistent. These changes, though, just….they just don’t make sense and do not benefit the union members at all. According to Kate Shindle, the president of Actors’ Equity, she and other Council members sent in a list of demands to the Health Fund to consider how this new plan would effect membership, specifically BIPOC members who “already face barriers to job access.”
It is frustrating to see how this panned out, and I am trying to remain hopeful that the union will be able to do something, but who knows. Or, you know, maybe we’ll have universal healthcare. Which of the two seems the more likely fantasy?
Why is healthcare so unattainable? Why does it have to be? I do understand the financial stress that the pandemic has put on the theater industry. Without making money, it is hard to support anyone, yet a change like this affects so many theater professionals (and their families) in the middle of an international pandemic. It’s clear from the article that this wasn’t an easy decision - or one wanted by many members of the board, yet I believe there need to be some sort of plans and aid from other organizations that benefit from Actors Equity to support these professionals. It’s baffling that American citizens often have to rely on a job for health insurance - in my own opinion, those two things should not be related. People are in need, and lack of health insurance deters so many people from resources and getting aid they need. This act also affects Black, Brown, and Indigenous (as well as other) communities disproportionately. Their access to health care has been incredibly limited and to be very honest, it makes me very worried and afraid.
It is interesting because in a class, we were talking about the financial trouble of Actor's Equity and so when I saw this, I was not really that surprised. The union is structured to only work when people are working and paying into health insurance and having employee contributions generally. As the article points out there is not enough health contribution from employers. This is one example of how theatres and arts organizations need to plan better. Maybe not for a pandemic that shuts in-person theatre down for over a year (there is no way Broadway is coming back in January) It is clear that these companies don't have any nest eggs or any fallback money when they don't have income (a problem for a lot of industries but even worse for arts organizations) and hopefully the pandemic changes this. There needs to be an acceptance that theatres have to run more like businesses (this isn’t just arts organizations faults…there are a lot less government supports than in other countries) Though this wouldn't necessarily solve the health care issue, it would solve some of the layoffs and closures that had to happen. Arts organizations look down upon saving money a lot of the time and think it is against the non-profit mission but arts organizations need to prepare more. I agree with JuanCarlos and Elizabeth that health care should be a lot more attainable and this is sadly an issue that many workers are facing. Just this week airline workers are going through massive layoffs and many people can’t afford the COBRA’s to continue their coverage. This decision right now seems to a purely financial one (as insurance only works when people are paying into it and with no to little employer contributions there is no one paying in) so I understand the need to diversify the Equity Trustees but I don’t know if that would have changed the Insurance Company’s decision or even Equity’s decision. It might but I’m not sure it would. I’m glad though that Equity is looking to diversity some of its very powerful positions.
The world of health insurance is a confusing mess to me, so I’m trying to wrap my head around all of this. I understand that everyone, the trust, actors, employers, etc, is struggling to make enough money right now during the pandemic. However, changing the health insurance requirements does not seem like a beneficial move for the actors because they need to work more weeks to just qualify for 6 months of coverage. Yes, money is important in our current world. I do understand that, but why is it often that we find situations where money is put before the benefit of those affected by the decision? Also, the timing is not great for this; we are still in a pandemic with the potential for a bad flu season this fall/winter and now people have their health insurance changing on them. I know the decision has been made, it will be interesting to see how the situation evolves.
I believe that healthcare should be a fundamental right for people provided by the government. Currently, the United States government doesn't provide healthcare and I feel that especially during this time unions should be providing healthcare not making it more difficult to obtain. It makes sense that right now Equity doesn't have enough money to provide healthcare for its workers. They shouldn't even have to be concerned about providing healthcare, it shouldn't be their responsibility but in our country it is and I feel that it should be made with priority. It is a scary time for everyone right now, but especially those who make their livelihood in the performing arts and are currently uninsured. Healthcare and health insurance in the United States is in great need of reform, this pandemic is just another thing demonstrating the urgent need to create change in the system we currently have in place.
I’m frustrated here because clearly this is a financial issue that’s leading into a vicious cycle. No one can work right now, so no money is getting paid to the union, so the union can’t support its members, and now not only can its members not afford to work but they’re now having trouble supporting themselves, and now the union is getting even less money, and so on. I agree with other commenters that it’s so frustrating how health care coverage is so tied into employment and work health plans, as opposed to being a human right like it should be. And that’s a country-wide problem and clearly not something that will get solved under the current administration. It’s just unfathomable to me how we as a country allow people to suffer and/or die because they can’t afford health care. Hopefully some manner of relief funds makes it through our government in a timely manner (ha) and Equity will be able scale back this requirement, because clearly right now the requested number of weeks is not going to be happening for just about anyone.
What a surprise, the financial burden that comes from the corrupt system of capitalism is once again placed upon the workers because the employers are unable to properly compensate. This is not at all exclusive to theater, but it is still sickening to realize that the cold boot of capitalism reaches every facet of my life. It is also not at all surprising that these changes will disproportionately affect people of color, and there must be action taken if we are to truly see equality for all.
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