Drake Bell Blasts SAG-AFTRA After Losing Health Insurance: ‘Do Not Become an Actor. Do Not Join SAG’
Actor Drake Bell criticised SAG-AFTRA after learning he did not qualify for its health insurance plan, saying actors should not join the union. His case highlights concerns among performers about meeting the plan’s earnings threshold to retain coverage.
The plan’s website showed Bell had earned $17,480.53 for the July 2025 to June 2026 period, leaving him $11,452.47 short of the $28,933 requirement. Bell tagged SAG-AFTRA and its president, Sean Astin, in his comments. Actors Jack Haven and Heather Matarazzo also recently described difficulty qualifying, though Haven later secured enough work to meet the threshold.
- Drake Bell says he does not qualify for SAG-AFTRA health insurance.
- He is $11,452.47 short of the plan’s $28,933 earnings threshold.
- Other actors have also raised concerns about qualifying for coverage.
New here? Start with this
SAG-AFTRA is the US labour union for many actors and other performers. It negotiates with employers over pay and working conditions, and members may qualify for health insurance through a plan linked to their earnings from covered work.
The plan sets an earnings threshold for coverage, so a performer’s eligibility can depend on how much qualifying work they do during a set period. Actors’ work can be irregular, which means some may fall short even while working in the industry.
Drake Bell is an actor known for television work, and Sean Astin is SAG-AFTRA’s president. Other performers, including Jack Haven and Heather Matarazzo, have also spoken about difficulty meeting the insurance threshold, drawing attention to how union benefits operate for actors with variable incomes.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A union health plan can only provide sustainable coverage if eligibility rules are tied to a defined level of covered earnings, and a threshold may help direct limited resources to members with substantial union work. SAG-AFTRA could also argue that the reported shortfall reflects the structure of the plan rather than a promise that every member will qualify, while continuing to represent performers on other workplace issues.
The case against
The threshold can leave working actors without health coverage even when they earn a significant amount through union work, particularly when jobs are intermittent and income is unpredictable. Critics can reasonably argue that a union whose members’ livelihoods are precarious should design benefits that better accommodate variable earnings, and that losing coverage despite substantial work undermines members’ confidence in joining or staying in the union.