Nonprofits Are Helping Musicians Pay for Insurance in Austin, Texas, and Beyond
A nonprofit and a local public health agency are subsidizing marketplace health insurance for Austin music artists, even as shifting marketplace conditions make the program a more expensive proposition. It’s becoming a model for other cities and sectors.
Austin, Texas is known as the "Live Music Capital of the World," but high costs for musicians can be a challenge. One local nonprofit, Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM), helps subsidize health insurance premiums for local musicians through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. HAAM partners with Central Health, a public agency that provides healthcare resources for low-income residents, to offer the program.
HAAM members who fall between one and two times the federal poverty level receive full premium assistance, while those above that range receive a 50% subsidy. The program has grown to over 3,300 members since its inception and aims to help musicians stay in Austin by making healthcare more affordable.
Written by urgent.news from KFF Health News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
