For many Etsy members, the idea of becoming a full-time crafter and artist may seem like nothing more than a beautiful pipe dream. Aside from the financial security provided by a typical day job, abandoning company-sponsored insurance benefits often seems an insurmountable challenge, especially to those with serious medical needs.

However, for some being without health insurance is not a choice, but an unfortunate fact of life: there are currently about fifty million people living uninsured in the U.S. (And Michael Moore just made a documentary to prove it!) This staggering figure is not as surprising when taking into account the often hopeless costs associated with insuring your health. New York magazine's recent piece “The Young Invincibles" states:

"Those without employer-sponsored coverage are thrown into a market where individual premiums can cost anywhere from $250 (for a bare-bones catastrophic policy) to $900 a month [in New York], among the highest rates in the nation, and likely out of reach for someone just starting out. And so going without health coverage becomes one of those casual sacrifices that come with being young..."

And in the event that medical attention is necessary, the costs involved are the least of your worries:

"According to a report by the Institute of Medicine, the uninsured are far more likely to receive inadequate care in hospitals: Conditions are improperly managed; most bleakly, the uninsured are more likely to die in hospitals than the insured. 'It’s those catastrophe situations where insurance really proves invaluable,' says the United Hospital Fund’s James Tallon. 'Without insurance, you’re likely going to run into a roadblock at every stage of the process. Will you get a referral? Will you get the right tests? What kind of care are you going to get?'"

These bleak facts lead many uninsured individuals to simply opt out of the entire insurance process. Many are unaware of their options or overwhelmed by the cost and the number of plans available.

What can the Etsy community do when so many of us are uninsured while trying to actualize our dreams of being independent artists and entrepreneurs?

Well, first off, we need to get the facts. Etsy sellers Pamela Ward, aka TwistedStitches, and her mother Carmen Luna, aka LunaDesigns, have come together to offer Etsians an interactive Insurance Talk in the Etsy Workshop on June 25 concerning options available to the independent craftsperson. LunaDesigns worked for 18 years as a registered insurance agent. Because of the stressful nature of the business, she's just quit her job and now finds herself in the predicament many of her former clients had faced.

TwistedStitches initially contacted Etsy with a plea to hold a town meeting concerning insurance issues:

"The idea came about after reading the forums and seeing how many of our fellow crafters are going without health insurance either because they can't find the information they need or they just simply cannot afford it at all. I was certainly shocked at the amount of crafters who were going without insurance and racking up huge debts because of medical issues. Since I have been a member of Etsy (October 2005), I have read countless threads about people just trying to get by and pay medical bills.

My mother (LunaDesigns) and I would very much like to help out the crafting community and offer them some solutions and information. We thought it would be a great idea to hold a ... meeting, where my mother, who has been an insurance agent for eighteen years, could offer some information regarding each states' health insurance laws and information about companies in the different states. She will be doing this for no charge at all and will not be selling any policies or coverage or profiting from this meeting ... She just wants people to be informed.

We just feel that it is so important for every single person out there to be able to have proper medical coverage and not to worry about going into debt over medical issues and bills. That way, they can focus their time and energy on their craft, worry free."

[photo courtesy Carmen Luna]

Carmen Luna, aka LunaDesigns :

"I am originally from Mexico, but lived in Tucson, Arizona for most of my life. I have been in the insurance business for over 18 years and I am licensed in both Arizona and North Carolina. My area of expertise is in healthcare. Before I got into the insurance business, I was roaming around the United States with my then-husband and two children, selling everything from Mexican pottery to the Dura Plane (which was created by my husband). We traveled to almost every state working the state fairs and malls, selling all these wonderful products. After we moved to AZ, we opened a small tshirt screen printing business... My girls have seen and done it all when it comes to crafting, selling and traveling.

A few years ago I moved to NC to be near my daughter and her two children (as any good grandma would do). My daughter was the one who informed me about this fabulous place called Etsy and she helped me open my store. My passion is jewelry and making my own beads ... I've been slow in getting that business going because, as those of you who work full time jobs know, life gets in the way of crafting!

Lately my daughter has been telling me about all the Etsy crafters who have been voicing their frustrations over healthcare. Having just gone through that frustration myself (I am going off COBRA in August), I can truly sympathize. I firmly believe that we all have a responsibility to 'Pay it forward'... So in that spirit, my daughter and I came up with the idea for this meeting. I would like very much to share my knowledge in this area. I know that I will not be able to help everyone, but if I can assist just one person in your quest for healthcare coverage, I've done my part. Please know that my only compensation in this is to help the crafting community and their families."

The Insurance Workshop is Monday, June 25 at 7pm Eastern time. The limit for participation will be 100 people. Multiple events can be scheduled to reach a greater number of people (We've reserved June 30 for a second session in case there's a high demand). Attendees should gather at the Workshop Lobby. For more info on what Workshop is, see this blog posting. For preparatory discussion of the Insurance Workshop and insurance issues, visit the forum thread.

Carmen will be taking questions and talking about what to look for, precautions, and what questions to ask an insurance agent. Topics to covered at the workshop will include:

• The difference between HMOs, PPOs, Group Medical, Major Medical, HSA, Short Term Medical, Cobra and Medicare Advantage plans

• HIPPA Provisions in policies

• Prescription Plans (assistance programs for prescriptions and websites to peruse)

• Zero Premium Life scams

Carmen cannot answer sensitive, specific individual questions online, but people can convo her any questions regarding their medical conditions and family needs and she will research and reply. She has state-specific info on all the medical/prescription plans and will happily forward the information.

Note: This was originally posted in the Etsy Garden.