WAHIP FORGES AHEAD
The ambitious goal of the Washington Artists Health Insurance Project (WAHIP) is to improve access to health coverage for Washington artists and serve as a national laboratory regarding artists and health insurance. Steady progress is being made despite the challenges and complexities of the health system. Current efforts are built on the foundation of the 2005 WAHIP Survey of Artists and Arts Workers as well as other WAHIP research and convenings. In addition to Artist Trust and LINC, WAHIP is now working with King County 4Culture, Washington State Arts Alliance, Seattle Mayor’s Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs and other partners to take action. The four focus areas below were determined by the 2005 WAHIP Forum which brought together national and regional health policy, insurance and arts leaders.

Education and Information
Artist Trust has taken on the leadership for development of new approaches to help Washington artists understand their options regarding health coverage and care. A roundtable convening is bringing together knowledge and new ideas on how to provide artists with accurate and appropriate health information that enhances and expands Artist Trust’s commitment to information services. Specific strategies build on the recommendations of the WAHIP Forum in 2005 and may include information and tools on health insurance options and preventative care as well as information and training on the responsibilities and costs associated with health insurance coverage for individuals outside of traditional employer-sponsored plans. The Actors’ Fund’s Artists Health Insurance Resource Center (AHIRC) is also participating in discussions.

Artists Health Coverage: Implement a Model Project
A key goal of WAHIP is to provide a health coverage option for artists in the metropolitan Seattle area by the end of 2007. This ambitious agenda is being pursued by a Task Force convened by King County 4Culture and Artist Trust with representation from the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner, Governor’s Office of Financial Management, Seattle Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, and representative from health policy, health care and insurance entities. This project will seek to address preventative, primary and catastrophic coverage in a model that offers replicabilty for other independent or non-employer covered workers and other communities. Initial plans focus on implementation in King County where there is the highest concentration of Washington artists and community clinics. Community Health Plan of Washington is currently undertaking analysis of WAHIP Survey data as it considers development of a possible insurance product. The target population for this plan will be artists with annual household incomes between 200% and 500% of Federal Poverty Level (those making above the threshold for state subsidized programs) and “underinsured” artists who are currently paying more than 10% of their annual household income on medical expenses.

Coalition Building and Advocacy
Washington State Arts Alliance is leading efforts on legislative issues that affect health coverage access for individual artists. WSAA intends to use WAHIP’s work to evaluate health care legislation and to shape advocacy efforts such as expansion of public programs including Washington State’s Basic Health that may increase the capacity of state and federal programs to serve more low income individuals and families, including eligible artists. There are also opportunities to track and advocate for other health-related legislative proposals that can provide benefits to individual artists and to artists operating as small businesses.

New Subsidy and Funding Streams
A roundtable of funders and philanthropists will be convened by Artist Trust later in the year to look at possible ways to help mitigate costs or provide need-based subsidies. All approaches to health coverage must grapple with the issue of affordability based on disparities in income and accessibility. There is an opportunity to channel the variety of existing fundraising efforts and to explore how new streams of funding can be developed into a more coherent and effective tool to support artists’ health care needs, including WAHIP’s efforts for a model health plan.

Other Possible Future Efforts
Additional ideas being explored include:

• Utilizing artist population data collected though the WAHIP Survey for additional purposes
  
  
• Encouraging other states or communities to replicate components of WAHIP including the survey to create a more comprehensive picture of artists and health coverage
  
  
• Participating in national tracking of emerging health coverage legislation relevant to artists and related advocacy efforts
  
  
• Development of a national roundtable of arts service entities invested in artists’ health coverage issues,

WAHIP Reports
WAHIP research reports, and updates are available here. This includes the WAHIP Survey of Artists and Arts Workers completed in Spring 2005, Artist and Health Insurance: Existing Data and Implications for WAHIP, and the 2005 WAHIP Forum Summary.

National Lessons Learned from WAHIP
WAHIP functions on multiple levels: It has provided a focus for research and now implementation in Washington State, but WAHIP also serves as a national laboratory regarding health coverage and artists. The lessons learned so far have been summarized in three documents to share with other states and communities who are exploring these issues.

• Steps You Can Take in Your Community Towards Expanding Health Coverage for Artists (PDF* 26KB)

• FAQ on Artists and Health Coverage: Insights from the WAHIP Process 2005 (PDF* 41KB)

• Key Survey Questions Regarding Health Coverage and Artists (PDF* 39KB)

These documents can also be accessed via LINC at www.lincnet.net

WAHIP Background and Support
The Washington Artists Health Insurance Project (WAHIP) is an effort to develop new strategies to improve access to health insurance for artists. WAHIP is working to expand access to health insurance for artists working in all disciplines, from painters and poets to rock musicians and choreographers, and all individuals who are dedicated to a profession in the arts. The work of WAHIP will provide leadership in developing models relevant to artists in other regions and for other populations with similar characteristics. During 2004 and 2005 WAHIP’s work focused on research and building knowledge for future action. WAHIP is a partnership project between Leveraging Investments in Creativity (LINC) (www.lincnet.net) and Artist Trust and is supported in part by the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Nathan Cummings Foundation. Over 40 arts and cultural organizations in Washington State including the Washington State Arts Commission, King County 4Culture, Seattle Mayor’s Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, and the Washington State Arts Alliance, plus numerous health policy and insurance experts are supporting WAHIP’s efforts in various ways.