“Why are you starting a nonprofit in a down economy? Why are you focused on healthcare and health insurance when it is changing by the minute?” . . . I have been asked these questions more times than I care to count. In actuality it is the down economy and the turmoil in healthcare that make TODAY the BEST time to launch Music Health Alliance. MHA is the solution to the growing need for a full-service healthcare advocacy organization that truly serves the music community. I began documenting the music industry’s need for healthcare support seven years ago, especially the problems of people with pre-existing conditions or insufficient health insurance. The immense problems that I saw then have grown more in the last year than ever before. Health insurance companies continue to report record profits by steadily increasing rates and reducing coverage, while at the same time the music industry has been in a period of steady financial decline. It has taken almost two years to develop a new model of healthcare support that completely removes the profit motive so that the healthcare solutions provided by MHA are based solely on our clients’ needs. I believe this is the only answer to the healthcare challenges of the music community, not only in today’s challenging environment but for the long term as well.
It is especially gratifying and appropriate that the launch of MHA be marked by a beautiful tribute to a renaissance man who exemplifies the values MHA was founded upon. Honoring A Legend: A Tribute to Cowboy Jack Clement will not only be a deserving honor for a special member of the music community, but also will benefit the Music Health Alliance and launch the Cowboy Jack Clement Fund/the “Jack Pot.” We are honored to be a part of such an exceptional musical event, and 100% of the proceeds from this event will go directly to the services and programs offered by MHA. As a result of this farsighted generosity, in 2014 MHA’s Cowboy Jack Clement Fund will begin offering financial grants from the “Jack Pot” to help musicians cover the cost of medical bills that are not otherwise covered by health insurance. In the truest Cowboy Jack way, he has produced a legacy through his support of MHA and the Cowboy Jack Clement Fund that will insure that the music plays on and on.