Connecting Artists to Health Care

LINC's health insurance and health care information resources are designed with individual artists in mind:

  • To give artists and arts organizations the information they need about existing programs and modes of support to access affordable health care; and
  • To empower artists and organizations by providing tools and information needed to engage and affect change on health care policy-related issues.

With this goal in mind, LINC has partnered with The Actors Fund, a national organization with a record of successfully delivering well-researched information to artists in communities throughout the U.S.; and Springboard for the Arts, a Minnesota-based organization helping artists receive low-cost medical care through the Access to Healthcare (AAH) program.

The Actors Fund

The Artists Health Insurance Resource Center (AHIRC)

The Artists Health Insurance Resource Center (AHIRC) is a program of The Actors Fund that makes it easy for artists to get their health insurance questions answered. The AHIRC website quickly links artists to the information and services they need, via an extensive database and no-cost promotional materials.

In response to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, LINC and The Actors Fund have prepared Every Artist Insured, a national healthcare guide that explains the most significant programs and reforms within the law, with special emphasis on those that directly impact the lives of artists. In addition, The Actors Fund works in partnership with local organizations to offer educational workshops across the country, and has produced 18 downloadable guides to help artists find affordable health care in their communities. These and other resources are designed to help connect artists with the valuable information they need.

Springboard for the Arts

Access to Healthcare (AAH) Program

Springboard for the Arts provides low-cost vouchers to individual artists and their families to use at several community clinics in the Twin Cities through its innovative Artists' Access to Healthcare Program. Uninsured and underinsured artists receive low-cost medical care as well as comprehensive health screenings, labs and pharmacy, and additional services as diverse as acupuncture and dental treatments.  

Springboard currently offers downloadable healthcare guides for artists in Iowa and Minnesota and is collaborating with LINC and AHIRC to replicate the AAH program for communities in Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Supporting targeted research

LINC commissions research and supports the dissemination of its findings throughout the U.S. so that municipalities, organizations, and individuals can be more informed about the conditions of artists, their health care options, and the motivating factors influencing artists’ decision to seek or decline coverage. View LINC-commissioned and related research.