Struggling for Coverage: Hollywood’s Health Insurance Battle After Strikes
After the 2023 Hollywood strikes, actors and writers are fighting to keep their health insurance amid industry slowdowns. Many face challenges meeting earnings or workday requirements for their union health plans.
Actor Miki Yamashita, known for Cobra Kai and The Lion Guard, needs surgery for non-cancerous tumors diagnosed in April. To qualify for her union’s health insurance by June 30, she had to overcome limited work opportunities during the SAG-AFTRA strike. By mid-June, she was $12,000 short of the threshold. “I doubt I will earn it by [June] 30” she said.
SAG-AFTRA members need $27,000 or 104 workdays annually for health insurance in 2024. Writers Guild of America members must earn $43,862, rising to $45,397 on July 1. To assist members, the health plans are providing temporary extensions for one quarter if certain criteria are met. Yet, these measures haven’t fully resolved the problem. The Writers Guild of America West stated: “Studio decisions over the past few years have disrupted industry employment: they have cut the number of projects developed and produced, and forced two strikes”.
Writer David Radcliff needs $5,000 more by September 30 for Writers Guild-Industry Health Fund. Actor William Sadler aims to qualify by September 30 while supporting his wife with lung cancer. Chelsea Schwartz, who lost insurance in 2024, needs 65 workdays by September 30. Despite many job applications, she averages four days per month. Another veteran actor, who wished to remain anonymous, is also at risk of losing her insurance and seeks any available roles to meet the earnings requirement. “It doesn’t feel good to have to say to your agents: Hey, can you get me a guest-starring gig on whatever happens to have somebody my age because I’m going to lose my health insurance?” she expressed to the Hollywood Reporter.
In response to this situation, the creative community and casting directors are stepping in to help. They’ve formed groups to share information about actors in jeopardy of losing health insurance and to find them roles. Social media has also become a platform for professionals to seek support publicly. Yamashita, for instance, has found steady work since sharing her situation online.
Writer Carlos Cisco, from Star Trek: Discovery, has accepted that he will lose his coverage and has applied for Medi-Cal. He advocates for openly discussing these challenges. “More often than not, we share the same problems, and we are not as isolated as we think we are,” he said.
As Hollywood recovers, creatives struggle for both their art and health security.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Share:
YouTube's TV Takeover: Redefining Media Power Dynamics
A24's Valuation Hits $3.5 Billion After Major Funding Boost Led by Thrive CapitalRelated Posts
After the 2023 Hollywood strikes, actors and writers are fighting to keep their health insurance amid industry slowdowns. Many face challenges meeting earnings or workday requirements for their union health plans.
Actor Miki Yamashita, known for Cobra Kai and The Lion Guard, needs surgery for non-cancerous tumors diagnosed in April. To qualify for her union’s health insurance by June 30, she had to overcome limited work opportunities during the SAG-AFTRA strike. By mid-June, she was $12,000 short of the threshold. “I doubt I will earn it by [June] 30” she said.
SAG-AFTRA members need $27,000 or 104 workdays annually for health insurance in 2024. Writers Guild of America members must earn $43,862, rising to $45,397 on July 1. To assist members, the health plans are providing temporary extensions for one quarter if certain criteria are met. Yet, these measures haven’t fully resolved the problem. The Writers Guild of America West stated: “Studio decisions over the past few years have disrupted industry employment: they have cut the number of projects developed and produced, and forced two strikes”.
Writer David Radcliff needs $5,000 more by September 30 for Writers Guild-Industry Health Fund. Actor William Sadler aims to qualify by September 30 while supporting his wife with lung cancer. Chelsea Schwartz, who lost insurance in 2024, needs 65 workdays by September 30. Despite many job applications, she averages four days per month. Another veteran actor, who wished to remain anonymous, is also at risk of losing her insurance and seeks any available roles to meet the earnings requirement. “It doesn’t feel good to have to say to your agents: Hey, can you get me a guest-starring gig on whatever happens to have somebody my age because I’m going to lose my health insurance?” she expressed to the Hollywood Reporter.
In response to this situation, the creative community and casting directors are stepping in to help. They’ve formed groups to share information about actors in jeopardy of losing health insurance and to find them roles. Social media has also become a platform for professionals to seek support publicly. Yamashita, for instance, has found steady work since sharing her situation online.
Writer Carlos Cisco, from Star Trek: Discovery, has accepted that he will lose his coverage and has applied for Medi-Cal. He advocates for openly discussing these challenges. “More often than not, we share the same problems, and we are not as isolated as we think we are,” he said.
As Hollywood recovers, creatives struggle for both their art and health security.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Share:
YouTube's TV Takeover: Redefining Media Power DynamicsA24's Valuation Hits $3.5 Billion After Major Funding Boost Led by Thrive Capital
