We are organizing a Congressional Hearing for Artists on Healthcare as part of a number of hearings across the country. The purpose of these hearings is to give voice on the record of citizens' healthcare grievances. This will be the first Hearing that brings together artists.
We are in the process of collecting facts/statistics about artists and healthcare - do you think Radical Reference could help in gathering these facts? I'm not even sure how to focus/frame the search. A lot of artists fall in the category of low-income workers with multiple jobs which makes health coverage a hurdle."
Take a look at this report by the Washington Artists Health Insurance Project. It is fairly recent - March 2005. It is 62 pages and is packed with stats and other info that I think you will find useful.
Next are three initiatives you should know about and make contact with to see if they can share some of their findings with you. The first two are currently researching artists and healthcare and may have information available that is not yet published.
And lastly there are some other websites that might be of interest plus some journal articles (I've not looked at them) that are available via your public library.
Washington Artists Health Insurance Project
The Washington Artists Health Insurance Project (WAHIP) is an effort to develop new strategies to improve access to health insurance for artists. WAHIP is working to expand access to health insurance for artists working in all disciplines, from painters and poets to rock musicians and choreographers, and all individuals who are dedicated to a profession in the arts. The work of WAHIP will provide leadership in developing models relevant to artists in other regions and for other populations with similar characteristics.
Artist Trust
1835 12th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98122-2437
206/467-8734
1-866-21TRUST Toll Free
206/467-9633 Fax
info@artisttrust.org
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At present, a study is being conducted by the Research Center for Arts & Culture at Columbia University. Here is a summary:
INFORMATION ON ARTISTS III: New York Special Focus Aging Artists
This study capitalizes on two previous studies of artists in New York in 1988 and 1997. It looks at artists 62 and over in areas of work-related human and social service needs including health care, pension and welfare, live/work space, education, income, income from art as well as areas of physical and emotional change.
Research Center for Arts and Culture
Teachers College
Columbia University
Box 78
525 West 120th Street
New York, NY 10027
voice: 212.678.8184
e-mail us here at: rcac@columbia.edu
They give some older facts on their website in the ArtistFacts section from earlier studies (1988 &1996). I've pasted the healthcare info below, but they also have info on income, work status, etc.
Seventy-nine percent of artists in the IOA II study had some form of medical coverage, as compared with the 1988 IOA study, when 82% had some form of medical coverage. The 1988 study showed that 28% of artists obtained this coverage themselves (not through their mates, employers, unions, etc.); 51% paid for this coverage themselves; 49% obtained routine health care from a private physician; 24% from an HMO or PPO; and 51% had been exposed to occupational hazards in their work (for over half this was an ongoing condition).
In the jazz study, 88% of AFM jazz musicians had health coverage; among RDS respondents only 43% of jazz musicians reported having health or medical coverage.
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Artists Healthcare Task Force is cofounded by the Artists Foundation. The mission of the Artists Health Care Task Force is to advocate for affordable and accessible health care for artists of all disciplines. Their work is concentrated in Boston. According to their website:
National studies have shown that 30% of artists living in big cities are without health coverage and 43% of insured artists are at risk of losing their insurance.
Here is their contact info:
Artists Foundation
516 East Second St. #49 Boston MA, 02127
And our phone is (617) 464-3559.
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Some other articles & sites of interest:
Exposing Ourselves to Art
Scott Fields
Artists are exposed through their work to a number of potentially harmful chemicals, fumes, dusts, and heavy metals. Each discipline has its own hazardous materials, such as the potter's lead glazes, the painter's toluene-based solvents, the printer's cyanide electroplating solutions, and the sculptor's sand and rock dusts. The art world is full of anecdotes about artists who have had serious health problems related to the materials they used. It's not just professional artists at risk, either–it's any hobbyist, art teacher, student, or summer camper.
The Business of Art: Health, Safety & Insurance
Artists' Assets: Artist Trust's Guide to Artist Resources
United Nations Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artist
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Health Insurance Update: More Costs, Few Options
Crafts Report v. 29 (July 2003) p. 22-5, 64
A recent survey of craft artists confirmed that the worst predictions for the cost of health-care coverage in the United States are coming true. In 2002, The New York Times reported that small businesses should expect double-digit increases in health-care costs in 2003, and the recent survey shows that 79 percent of respondents had double-digit increases in their premiums. Twenty-two percent experienced premium increases of over 20 percent, while a small number had premium increases exceed 50 percent. Most respondents say they have no plans for containing the increasing health-insurance costs.
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Finnerty, B. A national health care crisis: how to cover the working uninsured. Crafts Report v. 28 no. 315 (July 2002) p. 20-1
The U.S. government, large insurance companies, and small-business associations are at odds about how to handle the growing problem of covering the working uninsured. Skyrocketing costs for health insurance are making it increasingly difficult for small and upstart businesses to insure their employees. In August 2001, Association Health Plan legislation was passed in the House of Representatives but was removed from The Patients' Bill of Rights before it was signed to law. This legislation is opposed by big insurance companies and even small business groups, which contend that moving regulatory power from the state to the federal government would lead to fraud and ultimately higher costs for small-business workers. Proponents of the legislation reject this claim and argue that it would expand access and choice in affordable health-plan options for working families employed in small businesses.
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Groves, C. Is the search for health insurance making you sick?. Crafts Report v. 26 no. 293 (September 2000) p. 26-9
Health insurance schemes for craftspeople are discussed. Commercial jewelers, woodworkers, and glassblowers all have their own codes, each with its own risk levels that affect the cost of insurance. There is, however, no accurate rating for the typical small craftsman who carries out lots of different jobs in the course of the business week. The writer discusses insurance offered by health maintenance organizations, preferred provider organizations, and private plans, as well as medical savings accounts, group rates through member organizations, and the possibility of bartering goods for health services.
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Health insurance resources. Crafts Report v. 25 no. 284 (December 1999) p. 25
A list of health insurance resources for craftspeople in the United States is provided.
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The Art Newspaper
Napack, J. Jonathan Napack reports on the healthcare crisis in art [New York diary]. Art Newspaper v. 8 (April 1997) p. 43