When Graham Wilkinson, a musician and guitarist in Austin, injured his hand, he was faced with overwhelming medical costs. He said the surgery was estimated to cost over $5,000. But after turning to the Health Alliance for Austin’s Musicians for help, Wilkinson said the organization connected him with a surgeon to take his case pro bono.
Musicians like Wilkinson, who make Austin’s lively music scene possible, are freelancers who lack health insurance, making basic medical care costly and inaccessible. To combat this, HAAM will host its music and fundraising event for its 20th anniversary on Tuesday. From grocery stores, medical centers, rooftops, parks and other community venues, free local music acts will take over the city for Austinites to enjoy. Each performance seeks to raise awareness for uninsured local musicians and encourage the community to donate to healthcare services partnered with HAAM.
“It’s phenomenal what they’ve done,” Wilkinson said. “The reason why I’m still willing and eager to participate in HAAM is because of all that they have done.”
Gina Chavez, a Latin pop rock musician who will be performing at the Capitol on HAAM Day, said she used HAAM’s healthcare services from 2012 to 2016. Though she now has health insurance, she said she wants to perform this year to give back to the organization.
“There was a period of time where I was going to a really great clinic on the East Side and my copay was like $5,” Chavez said. “It was a time when I was kind of in between jobs, so to be able to have affordable, good healthcare here in Austin, it was truly amazing.”
Heather Miller, another performer at HAAM Day, said some uninsured musicians look to the insurance marketplace for affordable healthcare, but it can be challenging to understand.
“It can pay a certain amount to help cover you for health insurance, but that can be a little confusing or hard or expensive sometimes,” Miller said. “(HAAM) helps you navigate the marketplace.”
Rachel Blair, HAAM’s chief strategy officer, said the organization has expanded its healthcare services and fundraising efforts over the years. She said HAAM Day raised around $30,000 from their first fundraiser 20 years ago, but this year they aim to raise $900,000.
“We’ve had some exponential growth over the years,” Blair said. “We have well over 200 performances. We have close to 600 musicians participating. So it really is a city wide and significant effort.”
Chavez said she loves Austin’s support of independent artists and original music.
“It’s hard to find communities everywhere that would actually go out and support music that they’ve never heard before,” Chavez said.
As HAAM Day approaches, Austinites are encouraged to attend the numerous performances around Austin, donate to the cause and spread the word.
“We call ourselves a music city,” Miller said. “It’s important to keep the music alive and healthy.”
