FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Donald O. Graul Jr.
(202) 775-5150, Donald@aiwriters.org
HEALTH REFORM WOULD BENEFIT THE CLASSIC INDIVIDUAL ENTREPRENEUR AND FREELANCE PROFESSIONAL
WASHINGTON — Health insurance reform — especially in access and affordability — would benefit the most basic of small businesses, those owned and operated by one person, according to the vice president of American Independent Writers (AIW). “Few Americans feel the need for some kind of health insurance reform more than independent contractors,” said Mark Tarallo, Vice President of AIW, which began 35 years ago as Washington Independent Writers (WIW).
“Access to affordable health insurance coverage is a critical problem for the self-employed, but it has become increasingly difficult and expensive to obtain,” he said. “For many independent contractors who do not have access to insurance through a spouse or other family member, it has become nearly impossible to find an affordable policy. And in recent years, it has become almost impossible for organizations like AIW to find a group policy to offer its members.”
Tarallo noted that the independent writers group began by offering access to health care as a benefit, but health insurance premiums have risen in inverse proportion to the coverage the insurance carriers provide members of such organizations. In the end, the carriers decided that AIW and groups like it simply were not profitable enough. “Insurers argued that our memberships were too small and that our populations were too old,” he said. Many insurance companies say that as many as 3,000 members or employees are required to make a viable policy possible with an average maximum age of 50.
“America is only as strong as its independent contractors,” Tarallo said. “So, one of the end results of health insurance reform should be that all independent contractors have access to an affordable health insurance policy. And vital groups like American Independent Writers should be able to provide a group coverage option to their members.”
AIW was established in 1975 as WIW by a group of Washington writers to promote the mutual interests of the writing community. They were brought together by concerns over business and personal issues, including a desire to foster a new job marketplace and to provide social opportunities that help writers overcome the isolation that often accompanies their work. Another key issue was the availability of health insurance.
Members write and edit both fiction and non-fiction. Some specialize in magazine or newspaper writing, while others write on contract for corporations, government agencies and nonprofit organizations. Many members write novels, narrative nonfiction, short stories, poetry, and film scripts.
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