Quote:
|
I know in US its different but I thought you could pay insurance from your own. At least here you can pay health insurance even if you are unemployed. Or problem is Randy does not have sufficient savings for it?
Because what about people who have money and are unemployed in US, dont work, they cant pay health insurance from their savings, I woudl suspect.
|
It is different for actors. You are right that some people in the US pay for their own health insurance and many who are employed full time can qualify for a "group plan" provided as part of their employment contract. Most actor's, of course, are not employed full time.
Randy belongs to Actor's Equity, the labor union for theater actors. A health insurance is offered to members via group plans from a number of different insurance companies.
From Actor's Equity website:
In order to qualify for plan eligibility, you must have at least 11 weeks of covered employment* in any 12 calendar months “accumulation period” to qualify for 6 months of coverage. If you attain 19, or more, weeks of covered employment in an accumulation period, you may qualify for 12 months of coverage. Participants are evaluated for health coverage eligibility after the end of each month and there is a two-month waiting period after the 12-month accumulation period ends before coverage can begin (e.g., if you had 11 weeks of covered employment for the 12-month period ending on December 31, your coverage could begin as early as March 1 the following year).
"Covered Employment" means acting in a play or production under an Equity contract:
Equity negotiates and administers more than 30 national and regional contracts with theatrical employers. These agreements provide minimum salaries, benefits, job security and numerous other protections to ensure a safe and dignified work environment.
Cabaret and Sunday in the Park were definitely Equity productions so Randy should be pretty well covered at this point. I'm not sure about performing with "The Skivvies", but I'm sure Nick Cearley and Lauren Molina are Equity members, so maybe their shows need Equity negotiated contracts.
Appearances at fancons and other events like that - while they provide income - do not count as work credit toward health insurance coverage.
SAG-AFTRA which represents Movie TV and radio performers have the same rules and I believe he is a member of that union too.