Grange: Music & Entertainment Industry Insurance Plan Ready For Launch
Culture and Entertainment Minister Olivia “Babsy” Grange has announced that Guardian Life Insurance Company has been contracted to be the Government’s health and life insurance provider for the music and entertainment industry.
During her presentation in the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives yesterday, Grange said the long-awaited plan will be launched “in a matter of weeks”.
“This game-changing plan, will address situations where there is no money to bury a practitioner upon his or her passing, or where some entertainers become ill and are unable to fund the necessary medical treatment out of their pocket. Wi all aware of that, so we are establishing an insurance plan – life and health to take care of our entertainers and our cultural practitioners go,” she told the Parliament.
“So I know the need for this insurance and many practitioners and their families often turn to me as Minister for assistance. I try my best but this insurance plan will provide a better, more sustainable and more dignified option,” the former Specs/Shang executive said.
Grange also said that she is hoping that entertainers will fully utilize the insurance scheme.
“Following a competitive tender process the contract was awarded to Guardian Life Insurance. We will sign the contract in a matter of weeks it is our expectation that through this deliberate action, artiste and creative
practitioners will take advantage of this scheme, and so reduce their vulnerability to adversity and debt as has been the current experience,” she noted.
Minister Grange first announced her Ministry’s plans to establish an insurance fund for performing artists and musicians in December 2019.
At the time, she also outlined plans to introduce provisions within the facility that would cover life, health, maternity, and pension benefits.
The initiative she had explained, was to involve partnerships with key stakeholders including the Jamaica Federation of Musicians (JFM), Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA), and Jamaica Association of Vintage Artistes and Affiliates (JAVAA).
Grange had also said there were ongoing discussions with Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett to explore extending benefits from the proposed Tourism Workers Pension Scheme to entertainers and musicians.
In an update in January last year, during the media launch of Rebel Salute, at the ROK Hotel in Downtown Kingston, the Minister had announced that the health insurance scheme was nearing fruition.
At the time she had revealed that an actuarial consulting firm had been engaged to assist in the tender process for the Government health insurance scheme.
The Minister, a former manager for Shabba Ranks, Bounty Killer, Patra, and Leroy Sibbles, had emphasized the importance of implementing such an insurance scheme, noting that it aims to alleviate the financial burden on those who have made substantial contributions to the development of Brand Jamaica when they face illness.
“Wherever you go in the world they speak about our music, and I felt it was important that as part of our Jamaica 60 legacy, that we ensure that we introduce insurance coverage for our artistes, our writers, our cultural practitioners, to ensure that they benefit from what they have provided to this country in building the brand,” she had said.
The St. Catherine Central Member of Parliament had also pointed out that practitioners who have reached an advanced age are the ones who especially need the insurance support.
“Every day, we lose one of our veterans. They either get very ill or they pass, there is always an issue about dealing with the funeral; there is always an issue about dealing with the health insurance, the health coverage, and I thought it was about time, for this sector which has contributed to building brand Jamaica,” she had explained.