The board of trustees of the Directors Guild of America’s pension and health plan have voted unanimously to extend the duration of a free medical program for members who lost work during the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes this summer.
In August, the trustees of the plan established the program offered to members who have lost or were about to lose coverage with the DGA plan and lost work that would have put them over the earnings threshold due to the strikes. The free plan was set to last from October 1 through the end of 2023, but has now been extended through the end of March 2024.
“I’m so proud the Board of Trustees unanimously voted to extend the vital health coverage of the Major Medical Plan to eligible Health Plan participants and their dependents to ease some of the burden that has come with unemployment during the current and past strikes,” said DGA President Lesli Linka Glatter in a statement.
“In difficult times, we all must remember what matters most – taking care of one another. By extending these health coverage terms and making care accessible to more participants, the leadership of the Plans is investing in the long-term wellbeing of our DGA family,” Linka Glatter continued.
The DGA health plan extension echoes those made by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA for their health plans in an effort to protect members from losing healthcare during the strike. While the WGA strike has ended thanks to a tentative agreement that is expected to be ratified this week, SAG-AFTRA has recently resumed talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers with the hopes of reaching an agreement later this month.
Information on the DGA’s strike medical program and qualification requirements can be found on the DGA health plan website.
For all of TheWrap’s strike coverage, click here.
