AMP: Artists' Meeting Place and Resource Collective

HEALTH CARE REFORM FOR ARTISTS AND THE SELF EMPLOYED

Dear Artists:
There is an effort to reform health care for Californians, but everyone
needs to voice support so that self-employed people--that means
artists!--will have affordable health insurance. Public officials have
been working on Bill AB8 for several months, improving it and making
some progressive changes that would help artists, but some issues still
need to be revised before this bill becomes law. Our understanding is
that the new combined bill could be voted to conference as early as July
11.

We believe it is critical that self-employed people be included in the
legislation, that they be allowed to participate in the state purchasing
pool, that out-of-pocket expenses be capped, and that community rating
by age be eliminated or its effects mitigated. Please use the attached
letter crafted by The Actors Fund, Center for Cultural Innovation and
LINC (Leveraging Investments for Creativity) as a template to send to
your representatives.

For more information, you can log onto
www.artistsunitedforhealthcare.org to get a copy of the letter and a
locator feature to identify your State Assembly and Senate
representatives.

With best regards,

Karen Atkinson
GYST INK

Faculty, California Institute of the Arts

Los Angeles, California, USA
karen@karenatkinsonstudio.org

GYST Ink (An artist run company for artists)
www.gyst-ink.com

Board President
National Association of Artists' Organizations
www.naao.net