FSC Introduces New Health, Legal Benefits for Members

LOS ANGELES—Free Speech Coalition has partnered with NexGen to bring a variety of benefits to all individual FSC members paying $15 a month or more, at no additional cost. This new membership benefit will provide access to two tiers of discounted benefits  and services relating to health, dental, vision, legal, identity protection and more to individual members of the trade association. The services include free nationwide access to online doctors and nurses; discounts on prescriptions, medical imaging, vision and dental; medical bill advocacy and healthcare navigation; and legal services and identity protection. “After months of planning and negotiation, we are thrilled to make these new benefits accessible to individual FSC members,” says Eric Paul Leue, executive director of FSC. “It is incredibly important to us to protect the health and well-being of those who work in our industry. Performers and other industry professionals increasingly need access to better and more geo-versatile services.” FSC-member corporations and FSC-affiliated community organizations may also extend access to discounted FSC memberships with the benefits to their employees, contractors and members. iWantEmpire will provide the benefits free to 100 of its artists annually, as well as pass on their discount to every artist on its network. JustFor.Fans is also supporting the launch, and will be offering discount codes to allow models, contractors and other partners to receive the benefits at a discounted rate. “iWantEmpire has always put artists first, and granting them FSC memberships so they can access NexGen benefits is a given,” says Jay Phillips, vice president of iWantEmpire. “Health care and legal services should be basic rights for all independent contractors and if there’s anything we can do to make them easier to come by, it is our privilege and responsibility to do so.” Ian O’Brien, senior director of programs and operations at FSC, pioneered the project, as a way of addressing the needs of a sometimes untraditional workforce. “Our members, and many of the people who work with them, are often traveling or working far from home. They may not always have access to medical services, or have the flexibility to schedule an appointment. We see NexGen as an incredible supplement for workers like these, who will now have the ability to consult with medical professionals no matter where they are, from a mobile phone or laptop.” If you are an FSC member, you can learn more about your new benefits, and how to use them, here.