"Like many artists, Voynovskaya, is trying to navigate a rocky economy and policy shifts that could make health care harder to attain. Voynovskaya is insured through the Affordable Care Act marketplace, also known as Covered California. The ACA subsidizes insurance premiums through tax credits, making coverage affordable to many. But some of those tax credits are set to expire at the end of the year, raising premiums for more than 74,600 people in Alameda County."
"At a pop-up holiday market for artisans and entrepreneurs on Berkeley's Fourth Street earlier this month, Voynovskaya said they were worried about what losing the subsidy would mean in terms of their ability to pay for insurance coverage. In addition, Voynovskaya is seeing customers reluctant to purchase art because of concerns about the economy. And they are dealing with the ripple effect of grant cuts to arts programs."
An Oakland-based painter and muralist left a teaching career to pursue making art full time and now faces increased economic and policy pressures. The artist obtains insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace, which currently uses tax credits to subsidize premiums; those credits are scheduled to expire at year-end, affecting over 74,600 people in Alameda County and contributing to projected rate increases. Customers are spending less and grant reductions have delayed public art projects. A mural commission was postponed for months due to funding concerns before donors raised sufficient money. The artist reports community budgets tightening and diminished perceived value of art.
Read at www.berkeleyside.org
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