The Craft Emergency Relief Fund featured a special report called “A Usable Guide to Getting Yourself Covered, While We All Work Toward a Better System” in its February 2008 newsletter. According to the article, artists run into many challenges when obtaining health insurance, including lack of access to affordable plans, lack of insurance portability and lack of information to support the decision-making process.

Regulations vary state-by-state, and some seem overly complicated and almost impossible to grasp. On the bright side, several states are working to make health care more readily available and affordable, especially for employees of small businesses (and low-income folks).

Fraud is rampant, however, and it’s vital that you do your homework before committing to a health care plan. The report includes tips on researching insurance companies, evaluating considerations like deductible amounts and copays, and other options for receiving coverage.

The full report is included on CERF’s website at www.craftemergency.org, and several links to informational sites and other articles cited in the report are listed below. As CERF says, “Waiting to buy health insurance until you have a health problem is like waiting to buy fire insurance after your house burns down. It’s not a good plan!”