Heather Jones feels “lost, tired and hopeless.” Work has been slow for her and her husband, both actors, since the coronavirus pandemic shut down film and television production five months ago. Last December, their 4-year-old son Harmon completed a series of surgeries, chemo and radiation for alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer, and is now undergoing physical therapy as well as routine MRIs, CT scans and bloodwork in the aftermath.
She is one of nearly 20 SAG-AFTRA members I spoke to in the wake of the changes, most of whom were blindsided by the news. Nearly 15,000 people have signed a petition to overturn the plan’s revisions; a virtual town hall event last Friday night ran for eight hours as more than 460 gathered to share their concerns. Many worry about whether they’re going to lose their health insurance in an environment in which few are working.
“You’re going to do this now, in the midst of the pandemic?” asks actor Jennifer Esposito. “Actors have to meet quotas in our work to be able to get health care – and no one is working. How are you doing this with a straight face and be able to sleep at night? It makes me so deeply sad. I don’t know when we’re going to realize that unless we’re all doing okay, then none of us are doing okay.”
Seniors in particular will be impacted by the overhaul: around 8,000 senior performers and 4,000 dependents will have to transition to the provided Via Benefits Medicare marketplace to supplement Medicare coverage. Leadership says the new plan translates to expanded choices for retirees, as well as a new health reimbursement account, but many seniors are concerned about what that means for them. And it has left a bad taste in the mouths of younger actors.
That increase “was a reflection on the fact that the health plan is an absolute priority, and that the health plan needed money,” White told union members on Monday’s webinar. “There’s an obvious conflict of interest if they can’t tell us that the plan is about to face a $141 million deficit,” says that committee member.
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