The Washington DC-based non-profit organization Future of Music Coalition has implemented a health insurance guidance program for musicians called the Health Insurance Navigation Tool (HINT). To assist the well-being of U.S. -based independent art and music curators, the HINT program will provide information at the FMC website (www.futureofmusic.org/hint) and will also offer free phone consultations with experts to discuss affordable health coverage options available to artists and musicians.


According to a 2002 survey conducted by the Future of Music
Coalition, musicians who earn even a portion of their income playing
music are less likely to have health insurance than the general
population. Of nearly 3000 participants, the survey found that those
individuals who are young and healthy feel coverage is an unnecessary
expense and most (76%) guess that on a musician's budget they are unable
to afford the payments. (Survey results available online
at www.futureofmusic.org/research/healthsurveyresults.cfm). Yet, in the
case of those who lack health insurance and delay or forego healthcare
until situations get desperate, or as a result of a catastrophic
event, patients can very easily find themselves in an even more dire
situation, accumulating medical bills that may leave them with hundreds
of thousands of dollars of debt.

As a safety net for working artists and musicians who remain
uninsured, HINT's insurance consultants will help those interested to
navigate through the often confusing process of obtaining health
insurance. Taking into consideration an individual's unique
situations—fluctuating income due to month-to-month varying performance
schedules, state of residence, age, and health—the agents can direct
musicians to websites and regional organizations that offer assistance or
health insurance plans appropriate to meet their specific long-term
health coverage needs.


Those interested in scheduling a free and confidential 30-minute phone
consultation with the HINT team are encouraged to
visit www.futureofmusic.org/hint and "Get The Hint."



HINT is made possible by a grant from the Nathan Cummings Foundation.