The Screen Actors Guild recently announced that raising health care costs will force the Screen Actors Guild-Producers Pension and Health Plans to raise costs and drop a large number of participants---a major blow to the vast majority of low-paid members who live infrequent role to infrequent role. Although as much as three-quarters of the union?s membership does not currently make enough to make the minimum annual income required to qualify for SAG?s health benefits plans, many members count on eventually meeting the requirements. That goal will be even harder to achieve with the annual income requirement being increased by thirty-two percent for even the lowest coverage plan.
See RONALD D. WHITE, Los Angeles Times, March 7, 2002