Welcome to the Health Care Legislation Center for Artists
(This page was updated on 10/21/11)
In this section we will list important State Health Care Legislation, as well as National Health Care Legislation. We will also include short briefs on the Legislation and links to the actual text of the Legislation when possible. We encourage you to join the free email list serve on this site. By joining our free list serve you will receive important information ONLY about Health Care issues such as updates on the Massachusetts Health Care Reform law- its requirements and programs, public hearings and meetings for Health Care Reform, key legislation on Health Care Reform (state and national), and other health care related information.
It is also very important to become familiar with www.artistsunderthedome.org and join that site's FREE list serve.
We urge you to contact your State Senator and State Representative and let them know you are an artist in their district. When you contact their office, let them know what kind of creative work do (if you are a musician, visual artist, etc.) and put them on your mailing list! After that first introduction, let them know that Health Care Reform is important to you. Once the 2009 health care bills get assigned bill numbers and we list the talking points for them. It will be best to contact your state senator and representative on the health care legislation after we post them on this site. So make sure to join the free list serve on this site to be updated when we post that information and when we need you to contact your state elected officials.
Massachusetts Health Care Issues & Legislation
Important State Legislation that improves the Massachusetts Health Care Reform Law will be posted when it is up on the Mass.gov's website.IN 2010 the insurance companies convinced the state legislature that people in the private insurance makret were "gaming the system" and causing the insurance companies to lose money. So the state legislature changed the law governinng when and under what circumstances individuals can buy insurance in the private market place. No advocates were consulted on this change before it became law. This new law did not change the rules for those in subsidized care, or how businesses can buy insurance. The law only changed it for those individuals who earn over 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Line. (For the record the Artists Health Care Working and Healthcare for Artists.org were against how this change was put into place and testified against it).
There is now a strict open enrollment period and if individuals miss that period they will more than likely be locked out of buying insurance unless they have a "qualifying event". Note if your employer offers you insurance and it meets minimal credible coverage, you are not allowed to forgo you employer's insurance and buy insurance on the private market place- unless you have a qualifying event (so if you dont' like the insurance your employer is offering you is not sufficent to allow you to buy private insurance even if you can afford it). For more information see the Connector's PDF fact page. We also urge you to call Health Care for All's FREE Helpline for information and help: 1-800-272-4232.
Call your state representative and state senator and urge them to change this law!
An Act Relative to Massachusetts Artists, the self employed, small businesses and small non profits (Health Care) House Bill 01226 *
This bill was also filed in 2008 and in 2009. It was refiled in 2011 but with a new improved version. This bill would improve access to affordable health care for self-employed artists. This bill also increases access for affordable health care for artists who have combination income (they have some freelance/self-employed income). It will also protect small businesses and small nonprofits.
--Filed by Chairman Representative John D. KeenanThis is a great bill for artists.