Getting backup
Music fraternity urged to secure medical insurance
IN recent years, several veteran Jamaican entertainers have faced medical woes and even died in dire conditions.
Often they are without health and/or life insurance and so their families sought financial assistance through crowd-funding website GoFundMe.
The Jamaican Government, in some cases, has stepped in and assisted with funeral expenses.
The matter of artistes without health insurance came up last week when American R&B/jazz singer Angela Bofill — who suffered two debilitating strokes — died. Because she did not have adequate insurance coverage, several fund-raisers had been held to assist with her medical bills.
Ian Bourne, manager for the Holborn Road branch of Sagicor Insurance in New Kingston, spoke about the importance of having a proper health scheme during an interview with the Jamaica Observer.
“Having health insurance is to offset medical expenses, doctors’ visits, and just to mitigate against any cost associated with dealing with your health as far as being hospitalised,” he said. “Doing your regular check-ups at doctors, filling prescriptions, somebody going to do major surgery, that also takes care of a good portion of the cost. Providing that they have the plan for over a year, [it] helps with females who are pregnant and ready to start a family.”
Bourne explained that for individuals involved in the entertainment sector his company offers a number of plans that may suit their needs.
“[For the] ones who don’t earn a steady stream of income, insurance can be bought half yearly or annually, so that way, based on the fact that they don’t earn a steady stream of income, they can pay for it upfront. Because they are not seasonal occupations too, when they get bulk money, they can pay for it in that manner,” he explained.
Nadean Rawlins, actress and producer at RAW Management Limited, said having health insurance is critical.
“The nature of our work often involves irregular income streams, unpredictable schedules, and exposure to physical and mental issues. But, at the same time, it is very important to have health insurance as a creative, because without it we are vulnerable to financial hardship if we experience sudden illnesses or injuries. I look at it as an investment in myself and my career as a creative. If I am healthy and have access to health care with my health insurance, I have that peace of mind to do what matters most to me — to produce the best quality work I can,” she told the Jamaica Observer.
Popular disc jockey and sound system selector Kryptic agrees that having a health insurance policy has benefits.
“Do I think it’s important for DJs like myself to have a health insurance policy? Yes, I do, definitely. I feel like a lot of things in the Jamaican music industry, in terms of health and just proper business side of everything and making sure your whole business as a DJ/musician/artiste is structured the right way, is overlooked. I definitely think it’s something that people should invest in… [A] lot of the time the cost, as you can tell, upfront, may seem a bit rough. But… it is normally the right thing to do. And it can help you a lot in the long run if, God forbids, anything should happen,” said Krytic.
Aida Davis, an insurance financial advisor at Guardian Life Limited, also weighed in on the discussion.
“Having health insurance ensures that you receive the necessary medical care without facing financial ruin. It provides access to quality care and peace of mind while allowing you to focus on your health and well-being. Creative work can be mentally and physically demanding, increasing the risk of burnout and related health issues. Health insurance can ensure that medical issues don’t derail business or career,” she stated.
Davis added that, “Persons not having steady income flow can plan by doing quarterly or annual payments. Guardian Life has several individual plans as it relates to health options for individuals as well as family.”
Recording artiste, producer and music industry executive Ce’Cile told the
Observer that she has health insurance for herself and daughter Christiyana “Nana” Martin.
“I always try to keep updated with this, no matter what. Anything can happen at any moment and you really want to be able to have all the resources possible to get medication, hospital bed, see a doctor, do your scans — X-rays and MRIs, etc — which can be very costly paying out of pocket only,” said Ce’Cile, real name Cecile Charlton.
Despite the urging of organisations like the Jamaica Association of Vintage Artistes and Affiliates, for members to take out insurance policies, there remain many instances in which artistes have fallen on hard times with medical conditions as a result of a lack of coverage.
Still, Bourne stressed the importance of acquiring health insurance at an early age.
“We also implore persons to get health insurance when they are young and also once they are under age 63. After that you can’t go on the plan,” he noted.
In 2021, the Recording Academy, which governs the Grammy Awards, announced its partnership with health benefits platform Stride Health to make affordable health care accessible to its members.
According to a recent MusiCare’s Wellness in Music survey, 19 per cent of respondents, from among those involved in the music industry, stated they did not have health insurance, compared to eight per cent of the general population.
Of the respondents, 64 per cent said they could not afford health care.