BMI has launched BMI Health Connect, a free service designed to help its U.S.-based songwriters and composers find and enroll in healthcare coverage.
Developed with insurance brokerage Gallagher Alternative Health Solutions, the service connects BMI affiliates and their immediate families with licensed advisors for one-on-one assistance. Advisors can compare Affordable Care Act marketplace plans, private off-exchange coverage, Medicare and additional options including dental and vision insurance.
The guidance is free, but the insurance is not. BMI Health Connect is not itself an insurance plan, and BMI does not subsidize premiums or out-of-pocket costs. Instead, advisors review details such as household size, budget, income, current coverage and life stage before presenting available options and assisting with enrollment.
There is no obligation to purchase a plan. However, BMI — through its licensed Creator Connect Insurance Services brokerage — and Gallagher may receive a commission from an insurance carrier when an affiliate enrolls. BMI says that commission does not increase the participant’s premium.
The service is built partly around the realities of creative work, where freelance employment, fluctuating income and the absence of employer-sponsored benefits can make insurance decisions particularly difficult.
BMI Health Connect is available now, allowing affiliates to review their options ahead of the next enrollment period. Medicare open enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7. Federal ACA marketplace enrollment begins November 1, with December 15 as the deadline for coverage beginning January 1. Federal enrollment remains open through January 15, while some state-operated exchanges may use different deadlines.
It does not solve the larger affordability problem facing uninsured and underinsured music creators. But for artists accustomed to navigating benefits alone, free access to an actual person who understands the options is a meaningful place to start. Learn more here.
BMI affiliates can access the service online or speak with an advisor at (833) 997-5805.
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