HEALTH INSURANCE

Below is a listing of organizations offering health-care access.   ABG Business Associates Ltd. Group plans are available to self-employed individuals for a fee. See web site for details and costs: www.medhealthsavings.com Actor’s Fund Through its Health Insurance Resource Center, this organization has been connecting entertainment workers to health-care plans since 1998. See web site for details: www.actorsfund.org American Association of Retired People Health Care Options Offers health-care packages for AARP members depending on age. Membership is limited to persons over the age of 50. Costs of plans vary depending on applicant’s state of residency. See web site for details: www.aarphealthcare.com American Society of Journalists and Authors Membership benefits include access to a selection of affordable plans offered by several providers. To be eligible for membership, applicants need to have published at least two nonfiction books or six full-length, by-lined articles on a freelance basis. See web site for details: www.asja.org/benefits/health.php Artists’ Health Insurance Resource Center Provides a state-by-state health insurance database, especially for artists, low-income people, seniors, and children: www.actorsfund.org/actors/ahirc Artists Talk on Art For members living and working in New York State, this organization offers access to a group health insurance plan. Membership fees are: $40 for individuals; $55 for families; and $30 for students/senior citizens. Details online: www.atoa.ws Author’s Guild Health insurance through several providers available to members. Eligibility is restricted to published or contracted writers and well-established literary agents. There are different levels of membership depending on applicant’s credentials. See web site for details: www.authorsguild.org College Art Association Group Insurance Plan The association offers group discounts on all types of insurance. Membership fees are based on income level: www.collegeart.org Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington Provides health insurance to members in the Washington, D.C., area. Membership is $75 annually and is open to anyone. HMOs, PPOs, and point-of-service plans are offered through Kaiser and George Washington University. Rates vary based on the plan: www.cultural-alliance.org Editorial Freelance Association Provides health insurance at discounted rates to members. Membership fees vary according to state of residency. More information online: www.the-efa.org Fractured Atlas National arts organization provides health-care options for its members. Plans differ by state but all 50 states are represented: www.fracturedatlas.org Freelancer’s Union Health insurance plans available to members living in the New York area. Membership is free and open to the general public. See web site for details: www.freelancersunion.org Kids Now Children age 18 or under may qualify for free or low-cost government health coverage. The plan pays all or most of the cost of doctor visits, medical equipment, dental and eye care, hospitalizations, prescriptions, and other medical expenses. In most states, uninsured kids whose parents earn $34,100 or less (for a family of four) are eligible. For more information, check online: www.insurekidsnow.gov National Association for the Self-Employed Membership organization that provides access to health insurance for the self-employed. See web site for details: www.nase.org/nase_benefits/membership_levels.asp National Writers Association Health insurance available through Med Choice One, LLC Dental through AmeriPlan or Direct Dental Plans of America, Inc. Must meet membership requirements and pay yearly dues to qualify. See web site for details: www.nationalwriters.com National Writer’s Union Health, dental, and vision plans available to applicants who have been members of the NWU for over 90 days. Must meet membership requirements. See web site for details: www.nwu.org Partnership for Prescription Assistance Uninsured or underinsured patients can get prescription medications free or nearly free through the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA). Patients gain access to more than 475 public and private patient assistance programs that offer some 2,500 medicines, including a wide range of generics: www.pparx.org/Intro.php PEN American Center Offers affordable health insurance to members through TEIGIT. Authors or translators must have published two books of a literary character to be a member; editors, and agents need to have completed five professional years in the literary world. Insurance is not available to Associate Members: www.pen.org RBA Insurance Strategies Provides insurance consultation for artist associations as well as the self-employed: www.rbastrategies.com Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Offers eligible members health insurance through TEIGIT. To become a full member, applicants must have at least one children’s book published. See web site for details: www.scbwi.org Working Today National nonprofit freelancer’s union offers independent workers in any industry three group-rate health insurance plans through the Health Insurance Plan of New York: www.workingtoday.org Writer’s Guild of America Health insurance available for members. To become a member, applicants must meet extensive eligibility requirements found on the web site: www.wga.org