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- Artists Get a Piece of Mass Health Reform
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- Karen Brown
Starving artists don't just go without food. They often go without health insurance. That drives some into serious medical debt, and others out of the arts entirely. But in Massachusetts, many artists are among the low income residents now getting free or subsidized health insurance from the state.
This is part of a long-term project, funded by the Kaiser Family Foundation, following the progress of Massachusetts Health Reform experiment.
This piece aired on NPR's Day to Day, Feb. 4, 2009.
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Piece Description
Starving artists don't just go without food. They often go without health insurance. That drives some into serious medical debt, and others out of the arts entirely. But in Massachusetts, many artists are among the low income residents now getting free or subsidized health insurance from the state.
This is part of a long-term project, funded by the Kaiser Family Foundation, following the progress of Massachusetts Health Reform experiment.
This piece aired on NPR's Day to Day, Feb. 4, 2009.
Broadcast History
aired on NPR's Day to Day, Feb. 4, 2009
Transcript
SUGGESTED HOST INTRO:
STARVING ARTISTS DON'T JUST GO WITHOUT FOOD. THEY OFTEN GO WITHOUT HEALTH INSURANCE. THAT DRIVES SOME INTO SERIOUS MEDICAL DEBT, AND OTHERS OUT OF THE ARTS. BUT IN MASSACHUSETTS, MANY ARTISTS ARE AMONG THE LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS NOW GETTING HEALTH INSURANCE FROM THE STATE. KAREN BROWN -- WHO IS ON A KAISER FOUNDATION FELLOWSHIP TO STUDY HEALTH REFORM -- HAS THIS REPORT.
ARTIST XYLOR (zylor) JANE LIVES AND WORKS IN A LOW-RENT WAREHOUSE IN HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS. SHE'S FINISHING UP PAINTINGS FOR AN UPCOMING SHOW ABOUT NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES. EACH CANVAS IS FILLED WITH ROWS OF MULTI-COLORED METALLIC NUMBERS.
it represents a substantial amount of time of someone's life. that painting is called the ice bridge.
JANE EARNS HER LIVING SELLING HER WORK. SHE SAYS SHE MAKES BETWEEN 10 AND 15-THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR -- JUST ENOUGH TO PAY FOR RENT AND FOOD. FOR YEARS, SHE...
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Timing and Cues
3:52, plus intro.
Intro and Outro
INTRO:Starving artists don't just go without food. They often go without health insurance. That drives some into serious medical debt, and others out of the arts. But in Massachusetts, many artists are among the low-income residents now getting health insurance from the state. Karen Brown -- who is on a kaiser foundation fellowship to study health reform -- has this report.
OUTRO:I'm Karen Brown
Additional Credits
edited by Andrea deLeon, NPR
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