#Kingston, December 23, 2022 – Members of the local entertainment and cultural industry will soon have a dedicated health insurance scheme.
The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sports, Mr. Olivia Grange made the revelation at the Rebel Salute media launch on Wednesday (December 21) at the ROK Hotel in downtown Kingston.
She said local actuarial consulting firm, Eckler Limited, has been engaged to assist in the tender process. 
The Minister of Culture said that the creation of the scheme will provide critical assistance to practitioners who have made a significant contribution to the development of the Jamaica brand.
“Everywhere you go in the world, they talk about our music and I felt it was important that as part of our Jamaica 60 legacy… we make sure to introduce insurance coverage for our artists, our writers, our cultural practitioners, for to make sure that they benefit from what they have given this country,” she said.
Minister Grange noted that some veterans of the cultural and entertainment fraternities, who have reached an advanced stage of life, need this kind of assistance.
“Every day we lose one of our veterans. If they are very ill or pass away, there is always a problem of handling the funeral; there’s always an issue to deal with health insurance or health coverage and I thought it was time,” she said.
Minister Grange said the insurance coverage is a way of giving back to a community whose talents in promoting Jamaican culture on the international stage have been invaluable.
Contact: Rochelle Williams
Issue: JIS
