Health Care for Professional Musicians

There are so many way to consider self employed that it will stagger the imagination. Just about any adventure you enter into can be easily construed as self employed, but there is more to it. One of the most important facets is to have a steady income. When you have this established you will need to turn your attention to a variety of insurance coverage, health care being one of them. Now, where do you turn for insurance protection when you are a professional musician?

Many insurers employ brokers to work primarily through Local 802, whose primary purpose is to dedicate to helping provide individual health insurance coverage to all musicians. Whether you are a one many show, part of a small group or play, as an independent with a symphony, there is an affordable health care provider just waiting for you to apply. Are you curious as to how this affects you? To begin with you as the head of the band is to consider the employer. Why, because as the self-employed individual you have other people to perform with you, though you continue to make the decisions. To be eligible for this specialized health care plan designed for musicians there are a few criteria to be adhered to over two main plans.

• Plan A:

• 1.    requires a $1300.00 contribution (deposit) within a six-month period. This is

•        equal to $43.00 per performance over twenty-five sessions.

• 2.   Monthly insurance premiums of $135.00 per month or $405.00 per

      quarter, medical coverage provided for an individual.

• 1. Monthly premiums of $135.00 per month or $405.00 per quarter, equal the medical coverage for a family.

• 4.    Medical protection reaches its limitation at $50,000.00 per incident per

      individual.

      Plan B:

• 1. This requests a $500.00 contribution (deposit) within a six-month period. This is the equivalent to $20.00 per performance over twenty performances.
  2. Affordable health care amounts to $5000.00 per incident per individual.

Something else to consider is that many musicians have access to HMO’s in New York City alone which is a huge advantage because this gives them access to hospitalization as well. Yet there is no outward mention of prescription drug coverage benefits, except for long term. It does, however, offer regular doctor visits, coverage for lab tests, surgeon fees and anesthesiologist fees should one need hospitalization.