Poll

How do you get your health insurance?

Through AEA, AGMA, or another union
20 (43.5%)
Directly from the theatre I work for
5 (10.9%)
From another job
5 (10.9%)
Through a spouse or family member
7 (15.2%)
I don't have health insurance
4 (8.7%)
I buy insurance directly from an insurance company
5 (10.9%)

Total Members Voted: 46

Author Topic: Health insurance  (Read 6863 times)

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Maribeth

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Health insurance
« on: Mar 23, 2012, 12:20 am »
Just out of curiosity, I was wondering how everyone here gets their health insurance. As a freelancing SM, health insurance and health weeks are fairly often on my mind- health weeks become a big factor for me when considering jobs. How big a factor is health insurance for you? Does you maintain another job so that you can get health insurance from them?

SMrose

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Re: Health insurance
« Reply #1 on: Mar 23, 2012, 08:50 am »
I buy health insurance directly from a smaller insurance company.  It was too expensive to get through my spouse.

nick_tochelli

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Re: Health insurance
« Reply #2 on: Mar 23, 2012, 08:53 am »
I'm not going to vote since I've removed myself from the grind.

However when I was in the thick of it, I got it through AEA when I was eligible and when that ran out, I was covered under my wife's plan for free. Now that I have a "real" job (as my parents and in-laws call it) I get it through my own job and it covers my family.

bex

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Re: Health insurance
« Reply #3 on: Mar 23, 2012, 09:39 am »
I buy it from an insurance company myself.  I'm still an intern, but I'm not on my parents' insurance any more, and it's not provided by the company I work for.
You will have to sing for your supper & your mortgage, your dental coverage & your children's shoes, over & over again while people in desk jobs roll their eyes the minute you start to complain. So it's a good thing you like to sing.

maximillionx

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Re: Health insurance
« Reply #4 on: Mar 23, 2012, 11:35 am »
I am lucky enough to get insurance through my employer.  It was a major factor in me taking the job in the first place as it counts as compensation, and we all know we don't get into this business for the money. If I didn't receive it this way, I don't know what exactly I would do...I'm not 26 yet so I might mooch off my parents until then, but if I had to pay it myself, I'm not sure...but that's an entirely different discussion.

missliz

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Re: Health insurance
« Reply #5 on: Mar 23, 2012, 12:06 pm »
I've been under my parents' insurance for the last few years, but next month I'll hit the magic birthday where I'm not covered. Fortunately, my part-time job is letting me buy in to their insurance.
I personally would like to bring a tortoise onto the stage, turn it into a racehorse, then into a hat, a song, a dragon and a fountain of water. One can dare anything in the theatre and it is the place where one dares the least. -Ionesco

Maribeth

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Re: Health insurance
« Reply #6 on: Mar 23, 2012, 01:19 pm »
I've edited the poll to include the option of purchasing insurance directly from an insurance company. Interesting to know that a bunch of SMs use that option!

Post Merge: Mar 23, 2012, 06:34 pm
I get my insurance through AEA- when I have the health weeks. There have been times when I haven't had the weeks, usually because I have done more opera than theatre during a particular season and have gone without insurance, which I hate.

I also use AGMA's Plan B- for those who aren't familiar, it is essentially a personal medical savings account, which the company contributes a certain amount of money into per performance. You can get reimbursed from the account for medical expenses that aren't covered by insurance.
« Last Edit: Mar 23, 2012, 06:34 pm by Maribeth »

Aerial

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Re: Health insurance
« Reply #7 on: Mar 23, 2012, 06:51 pm »
I've been lucky enough to work enough weeks to get it from AEA since I first hit the 12 week minimum after I got my card four years ago (I also had the incredible good luck for my first contract to be exactly 12 weeks long).

As a PA, I got it through the theatre, and before that I went two years without (as back then I aged out of my dad's coverage when I graduated from college)

iamchristuffin

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Re: Health insurance
« Reply #8 on: Mar 24, 2012, 08:54 am »
I'm not going to vote - because I'm lucky enough to have the NHS!
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Bwoodbury

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Re: Health insurance
« Reply #9 on: Mar 24, 2012, 03:00 pm »
I'm still on my parents plan thanks to obamacare, so for me the focus is less about health weeks and more about pay. I am interested in learning more about Plan B. I know AGMA is planning to do a session on it during the DC/Baltimore area membership meeting this weekend; hopefully, I can make it to that!

babens

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Re: Health insurance
« Reply #10 on: Mar 24, 2012, 11:07 pm »
I've been lucky that I've had pretty continual coverage since I moved to NYC in the spring of 08.  And at the end of this current contract I'll have the weeks to keep me covered until the end of 2013, so I have a little bit of breathing room.

Scott (formerly Digga)

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Re: Health insurance
« Reply #11 on: Mar 25, 2012, 01:41 pm »
I've used AEA Insurance since joining the union in 2004.  In that time I've been lucky enough to only lose it once for 6 months before getting back on the plan. 

Maribeth

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Re: Health insurance
« Reply #12 on: Mar 25, 2012, 03:36 pm »
I'd be interested to know about anyone else's experience with doing both theatre and opera, and how they manage their health insurance. For me it's one of the big disadvantages of not working exclusively in one field or another- I'd like to hear other people's perspectives on this.