The Arts and Entertainment Plan is a Medical Benefits Program for Candadian Performing Artists

One of the really tough things about being a Canadian performing artist is that it's next to impossible to get extended medical benefits unless you work as an employee at a medium to large arts organization that offers benefits for your level of pay. Since that rules out the vast majority of working artists, many of us make do with only basic provincial medical health insurance, which, depending on which province you live in, can either cover a lot of procedures or very little.

The Arts and Entertainment Plan is a program for providing prescription drug care, extended health care, and dental care to individuals and families who are members of participating organizations, namely ACTRA/UBCP, Recording Artists' Collecting Society, and the Canadian Federation of Musicians (aka Musicians' Union locals in Canada). If you think this might be an option for you, take a look at the program handbook, as well as details of the program and enrollment.

The Arts and Entertainment Plan is underwritten by the ACTRA Fraternal Benefit Society, and here is an interesting statement about the plan from the FAQ page:

The Arts & Entertainment Plan is now available because it's the right thing to do: workers in the artistic community are not afforded the same benefits as their public and private counterparts. A 2010 study by the Cultural Human Resources Council notes that only only 20% of those working in the cultural sector have access to dental benefits and only 20% of those working in the cultural sector have access to dental benefits and only 22% have a drug plan. The Arts & Entertainment Plan is doing their part in making benefits a reality for those within the artistic community who otherwise would be without this safety net.