Connecting Artists to Healthcare

LINC has placed resources on this site to make it easy for organizations to deliver information about healthcare and health insurance to the artists they serve. We encourage you to browse through the resources to see what would be most useful for you and your local constituents. LINC’s health insurance and healthcare information resources for artists are designed with the needs of individual artists in mind, and for the following purposes:

• To give artists and organizations the information they need about existing programs and modes of support to access affordable healthcare;
• To create a better collective understanding of the structural challenges artists face in obtaining access to affordable health coverage and care;
• To link artists and others to information about potential changes to the U.S. healthcare and health insurance systems, and how to stay involved; and
• To empower artists and organizations by providing tools and information needed to engage and effect change on healthcare policy-related issues.

What we offer:

Online information resources: Know the Facts, Offer Important Resources, and Get Involved

www.lincnet.net//health-insurance-for-artists a website of useful information concerning the issues artists face in obtaining health insurance in the United States. This website is filled with information for organizations to get the information and knowledge they need to serve their artist constituents efficiently and effectively with resources that are free or have a low barrier for participation for both the organizations and, ultimately, the artists they serve. www.AHIRC.org Access to Health Insurance/Resources for Care or AHIRC is a national database of existing healthcare and insurance resources available at the state and local level for artists of all disciplines. It contains more than 6,000 links to national, state, and local information and assistance. These materials provide quick and easy access information about affordable healthcare and insurance options that is oftentimes difficult to find. Anyone can access AHIRC. www.artistsunitedforhealthcare.org a site dedicated to keeping everyone abreast of the current policy recommendations and political environment—locally and nationally. This site offers everyone important resources for getting involved with the national discussion on health care reform. (To be launched in Fall 2008!)

Local Affordable Health Care guides for Artists

Now available in Kansas City, Seattle, New Orleans, New York, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area, these local printed guides created in partnership with local organization and are offered by the Actors Fund and LINC. They summarize important facts for artists and provide a local list of resources including select 24-hour pharmacies, health care clinics, and hospital listings. If you are interested in offering a guide in your area, contact us for for further information. Be sure to include "Local Affordable Health Care guides for Artists" in the subject line.

Local Health Insurance/Healthcare Workshops for Artists

Connect artists in your community with AHIRC live! The Actors Fund offers workshops, presented by trained AHIRC staff in local communities around the U.S. These workshops are a fantastic way to offer information about finding and obtaining quality health insurance and healthcare. Q&A sessions in these workshops are terrific ways to place the vast AHIRC information resources in a local context that makes understanding options and the current context much easier for your constituents. A video version of a tutorial for artists will also be available on lincnet.net in Fall 2008.

Training Seminars

Build your local capacity to offer Local Health Insurance/Healthcare Workshops for Artists on an ongoing basis. AHIRC specialists will work with your staff and partnering organizations to hone the skills to deliver similar workshops in your community. In addition to live training, AHIRC will work with you to keep abreast of local changes in policy and programs thus building the strength of the AHIRC community.

Local Grants

LINC offers grants to arts organizations interested in getting involved or that are currently involved in healthcare/health insurance efforts for artists. This grant program offers financial support in addition to connecting organizations and their projects around the country in the LINC network. To request guidelines and more information, please contact: Karen Garret, Program Director-Grantmaking.

News and Research

Additionally, LINC provides information about staying informed and engaged in potential changes to the U.S. healthcare and health insurance systems. LINC also supports research to help create a greater collective understanding of artists’ challenges in obtaining quality, affordable healthcare and insurance. To sign up for LINC’s online newsletter, email us and we will send you the quarterly issues. Be sure to include "Newsletter" in the subject line.

Free Information Tools for Your Organization: LINKING ARTISTS

LINC has created a set of promotional materials as a resource to help organizations connect artists with AHIRC as the first step in finding quality, affordable health insurance/health care options. These materials are free to service organizations, and can be distributed as part of any outreach effort.