Workers who lose job-based healthcare coverage have the option of continuing enrollment in their plan for up to 18 months, but most people don’t end up taking COBRA due to the prohibitive cost. The unprecedented scale of sudden unemployment during the COVID-19 outbreak leaves millions of workers in jeopardy of being kicked off their employer-based health insurance plans during this pandemic. (In New York alone, unemployment claims for the entertainment industry went up 3,880% in the last week of March compared to last year.) We must pass the Worker Health Coverage Protection Act, which will provide coverage for the full cost of COBRA premiums for workers who normally receive coverage through their job, but have lost work.

Local 802 musicians and our fellow entertainment workers look forward to the day when our workplaces can reopen and we can return to doing what we do best: making music and bringing joy to live audiences. The only way this will be possible is if we have access to the healthcare we need while theaters and venues remain closed.