No musician should ever have to choose between pursuing their art and protecting their health. Yet rising healthcare costs, coupled with the reduction of Affordable Care Act subsidies, are creating unprecedented sticker shock for working Californians. Too many musicians are finding themselves forced to drop their health coverage simply because they can no longer afford it.

Our goal should be simple: make quality healthcare more accessible, more affordable, and easier to obtain for every professional musician in California.

We are actively working to expand the opportunities available through both the Local 47 Health & Welfare Plan and the FlexPlan. These programs provide much more than medical coverage—they offer access to mental health services, preventive care, and the peace of mind that allows musicians to focus on their careers instead of worrying about how they will pay for healthcare.

One of our key initiatives is expanding the use of the LS-1 payroll reporting form beyond traditional live performances to include private music instruction. Thousands of musicians earn a significant portion of their income through teaching. By creating a streamlined process that allows these earnings to contribute toward healthcare eligibility through the FlexPlan, we can open the door to coverage for many musicians who have historically been left out of traditional benefit structures.

To support this effort, we are working with AFM Local 12 and a Sacramento-based payroll service to simplify payroll processing for private teachers, live performances, and other qualifying music work. Our objective is to make participation easy for employers and effortless for musicians, allowing healthcare contributions to be made consistently regardless of the type of engagement.

At the same time, we are partnering with our Health & Welfare Trust to modernize the member experience. This includes developing easier payment options, improving online interactions with the Local 47 Health & Welfare Plan, and providing members with greater transparency through the E2 Member Portal. Our goal is for musicians to easily view their health contribution history, monitor eligibility, and manage their benefits with the same convenience they expect from modern financial and healthcare services.

Looking ahead, our long-term vision is even more ambitious. We want to explore the possibility of creating a unified healthcare contribution structure that could eventually serve musicians working under all eligible AFM contracts throughout California. While achieving one coordinated plan will require collaboration among employers, benefit trustees, and union leadership, it is a vision worth pursuing. Musicians deserve a healthcare system that reflects the realities of today’s freelance and multi-employer careers. This is about more than insurance. It is about strengthening our profession, supporting our families, improving mental health, and ensuring that musicians can build sustainable careers without sacrificing their well-being.

In unity,  

John Acosta  
Vice President