Are you running out of eligible MPI hours, CAPP account funds, or getting laid off and going to lose your union health coverage? Navigating the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, and other options can be stressful. But you don’t have to figure it out on your own. Following are organizations providing free services to help you find health care until you qualify for your union coverage again.
Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF)
mptf.com
For California Members
If you’re at risk of losing your MPI health coverage because you didn’t secure enough MPI hours, it’s important to reach out to MPTF as soon as possible. In partnership with the Entertainment Community Fund (ECF), MPTF offers California residents in the entertainment community personalized health insurance counseling through the Entertainment Health Insurance Solutions (EHIS) program.
This program is not tied to a specific insurance carrier. Its mandate is to work with all available plans. With an understanding of the coverage you received from your MPI plan, a licensed agent will consult with you by phone or in person about your income, the location of your doctors, your medications, and other relevant details. They will then explain plans and prices suited to your situation so you can make an informed decision. The counselors stay up to date on the shifting landscape of health care options, and their goal is to help you purchase the best plan to fit your individual and family needs.
Entertainment Community Fund (ECF)
entertainmentcommunity.org
Dating back to 1882, ECF has offices in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Atlanta. Its health care counseling services are designed specifically for people who work professionally in the performing arts in the United States. Most services are available virtually through individual case management with some direct healthcare services in New York City.
For Members Throughout the US
Members of the ECF health insurance team are available for individual consultations to help you figure out your options if your work-funded health insurance is running out, with choices including Medicare, Medi-Cal (for California residents), and Affordable Care Act plans. They also offer enrollment assistance in New York and California from unbiased, certified application counselors and licensed agents.
For New York Members
Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts
ECF has its own health clinic at their New York City office in Times Square. The Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts takes most insurance plans, and if you are uninsured or underinsured, a member of the entertainment industry, and meet certain guidelines, you may be eligible for subsidized visits.
COBRA Discount
If you live in New York and are losing your union entertainment industry health insurance coverage—this includes MPI and the IATSE National Benefits Fund (NBF)— you may be eligible for 75% off COBRA coverage. You can apply through ECF.
Learn about eligibility requirements here.
Affordable Care Act Webinar
For members in New York and New Jersey, this webinar will help you understand the Affordable Care Act and give you step-by-step guidance on your insurance options and how to get the most affordable coverage. You will also learn how to estimate variable/sporadic income and see if you’re eligible for free insurance or expanded subsidies to reduce your premiums.
For California and New York Members
ECF offers free Every Artist Insured educational webinars to help California and New York/New Jersey members understand the Affordable Care Act. California webinars include step-by-step guidance about Covered California options. The programs offer important information relevant to freelancers. You can also learn if you’re eligible for free insurance or subsidies to reduce premiums.
Find more information and register here. Please note that you will need to create an ECF account in order to take this webinar and access other ECF services.
Grants for Members Throughout the US
ECF offers financial assistance grants that can be used to pay health insurance premiums. Grants are available to any American citizen who has worked three out of the last five years in the U.S. or outside the country in their craft in the entertainment industry. Those members who are not American citizens but have lived and worked three out of the last five years in the U.S. in their entertainment industry craft may also be eligible.
An eligible individual can receive a grant three times in any 10-year period. Grants are between $1,500 to $2,000 for an individual, and up to $3,000 for a family.
Information about eligibility and requirements can be found here.
UNION PLUS
https://www.unionplus.org/
A benefits arm of the AFL-CIO, of which our parent union IATSE is a member, Union Plus offers a variety of benefits to union workers, including:
- Discounted dental plans
- Discounted vision plans
- Prescription discounts
- Hospital grants
- Free medical billing negotiation
Please carefully review eligibility requirements for each benefit. Some require participation in certain Union Plus programs.
DISABILITY BENEFITS
For California Members
MPI Eligibility Extension: Short-Term Disability
If you lost eligibility because you could not work due to an illness or injury, the MPI Health Plan may allow your disability time to count as work hours during the Qualifying Period. This benefit is tied to disability benefits received from the California Employment Development Department (EDD).
Keep in mind that MPI does not have a connection with EDD, so if you are on state disability, EDD won’t notify MPI. As an MPI Participant, you need to contact MPI to initiate the process. It’s important to note that this is an extension, so if you have been ineligible for benefits, you cannot use disability hours to re-qualify, and MPI cannot combine them with your bank, but only with worked hours.
Learn more about California disability benefits here.
To learn more and find out if you are eligible for Short-Term Disability Extension, use this MPI Quick Check Guide.
For New York Members
New York requires employers to provide disability benefits coverage to employees for an off-the-job injury or illness. The Disability and Paid Family Leave Benefits Law provides weekly cash benefits to replace, in part, wages lost due to injuries or illnesses that do not arise out of or in the course of employment.
For Texas Members
Texas does not offer a state disability benefits program. Alternatives include Social Security Disability Insurance and Medicaid buy-in options for persons with disabilities.