It’s sometimes difficult to think of our favourite music stars as being in any way similar to the rest of us. Aside from the fame, the notoriety, the talent and the fact that they have made such an impact on so many lives, there’s one most apparent difference.
Money. Yep, that’s a predictable and disgruntling topic but it’s one that is at the center or most of our lives. Whether or not it should be is a different matter altogether but the fact is that if we want to live full, healthy lives, then money has to be our focus.
And so when we think about our favourite music stars, that’s the big thing that sets them apart. They are nowhere near as worried about it as we are because they’ve got enough money to last them a hundred lifetimes.
So when we think about our own financial struggles and the irritating necessities that chip away at our bank accounts, we tend not to consider the possibility of famous musicians ever having the same thoughts.
But that’s not the reality of the situation. No matter how famous or how rich they are, they are still humans, just like us and that means that they do have to make the same considerations and decisions, even if it means less.
So you think about health insurance. So important, yet such a hard thing for most people to acquire. You would think it’s a right that every human being is entitled to but unfortunately it’s not treated as such, especially not in America. And it’s only getting worse.
And you might not think too much about Bob Dylan’s health insurance coverage, but he has it too, probably. And while he and other global superstars don’t struggle to afford it, that doesn’t mean they don’t have to jump through the same hoops to get it.
The trouble with that is that it’s fine once you make it, but getting to that stage puts you in a significantly more treacherous position. The fact is that most musicians, and most people who work in the entertainment industry in general, are self-employed.
And it’s not quite so simple for the self-employed, with inconsistent work to get access to healthcare as it is for people who are working full-time and getting a guaranteed weekly or monthly salary.
When you’re applying and you can prove that you won’t be inhibited from paying it in the future due to your primary source of income being a reliable one, you’re much more likely to be approved.
And when you think about it from this perspective, musicians really don’t have it all that easy unless they actually are the ones at the top of the pile. In the grand scheme of things, the top of the pile is very few people.
While Obamacare did make it a little bit easier for some of the lower-earning artists and actors to get access to some health insurance cover, that’s slowly being scaled back under the Trump administration and so people are struggling once again.
For those who are musicians but aren’t best-selling artists, what can they do? Well first of all, they can’t just decide that health insurance is not worth the expense because it’s arguably more important for them than the average citizen.
The positive side of it is that most of them are young enough to naturally be in good health. Of course there are a number of working musicians who are older than 65 and who can seek out a Medicare plan, but in general the less well-known musicians are young.
The most common issues don’t come from age-related health problems, they come from things like spending hours and hours at a time stuck in a hot, stuffy vehicle with three or four other people in close proximity.
From the crowded bars filled with drunk, boisterous, loud fans. From dragging heavy equipment around and dealing with the stress of not knowing whether or not you’ll get another gig or if the ones you have will actually pay you.
It’s a line of work that can lead to an abundance of health issues and so those involved absolutely need health insurance. There are certain resources available which can aid in the process of trying to access the coverage.
There’s the Future of Music Coalition (FMC) who have made it a priority to ensure that musicians who have yet to make a name for themselves will be protected. They also keep people up to date on any changes that occur which may affect them.
A lot of musicians who are represented by agencies will often get assistance from their union in this area, but for those who aren’t there is also the Artists Health Insurance Resource Center (AHIRC) which offers consultations and advice for those without representation.
So in short, you would assume that musicians don’t have the same issues as you do when it comes to trying to get health insurance, but when you look at the bigger picture, most of them are likely struggling as much as you are.
The biggest names might be in good shape, but they don’t make up the largest portion of the industry by any stretch of the imagination.
