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‘Princess Diaries’ Star Heather Matarazzo Reveals She May Lose Health Insurance If She Doesn’t Work Again Soon: ‘Lots of Actors’ Are in the ‘Same Boat’
Heather Matarazzo said she could lose access to SAG-AFTRA health insurance unless she finds acting work soon, highlighting the financial insecurity caused by irregular employment in the entertainment industry. Her comments came after actor Jack Haven said they needed urgent work to meet the guild’s earnings requirement.
Haven said they needed to earn $4,000 by the end of the month to qualify for insurance from January, and later received an offer expected to secure coverage for 2027. SAG-AFTRA members needed to earn $28,933 this year, with the threshold expected to increase by roughly $900 annually until 2030; Matarazzo’s latest project was the 2025 short film “Paper Tiger”.
In short
- Matarazzo may lose health insurance without new acting work.
- SAG-AFTRA coverage requires members to meet a minimum earnings threshold.
- The threshold was $28,933 this year and is expected to rise.
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The case for
The entertainment industry's inherent irregularity means even committed, working actors face unavoidable employment gaps; making health insurance contingent on escalating earnings thresholds (rising to over £32,500 by 2030) penalises actors during the very times when they need protection most. Union health insurance should function as foundational member support for difficult periods, not as a benefit available only to the consistently employed. The current system pressures actors to accept unsuitable work out of desperation rather than artistic judgment, contradicting the union's fundamental purpose of protecting members' wellbeing and professional standards.
The case against
Union health insurance pools must remain financially sustainable by requiring active professional participation; thresholds ensure the insurance fund serves members genuinely working in the industry rather than subsidising those outside it. The earnings requirements are transparent, escalate predictably to reflect rising costs, and give members ample notice for career planning, whilst members between roles retain access to marketplace insurance, subsidised plans, and other safety nets. Lowering thresholds without corresponding increases in dues or membership contributions would effectively force working members to subsidise coverage for those not engaged in union work, ultimately threatening coverage quality for all.
Explained simply
SAG-AFTRA is the US union for performers and other workers in film, television and radio. Its health plan provides insurance to eligible members, but qualifying can depend on meeting an earnings requirement through covered work.
Actors often work on short projects with gaps between jobs, so their income can be unpredictable. That can make it difficult to qualify for workplace-linked insurance, even for people with established careers such as Heather Matarazzo, known for The Princess Diaries.