The Producers Guild of America (PGA) used its annual awards ceremony as a platform to kickstart a campaign aimed at securing health insurance coverage for producers working in Hollywood. PGA presidents Stephanie Allain and Donald De Line introduced the initiative during their address at the Hollywood & Highland’s Ray Dolby Ballroom on Sunday. The endeavor seeks support from studios, streaming platforms, and other major content companies to allocate funds within TV and film production budgets for the health insurance of “qualified producers.”
Addressing the audience, Allain and De Line emphasized the necessity of providing health insurance benefits to producers, aligning them with other creative guilds in Hollywood. They highlighted the challenges faced by producers who lack guaranteed health coverage and stressed the importance of ensuring access to essential benefits for themselves and their families.
The PGA revealed that notable production entities such as Blumhouse, Berlanti Productions, Legendary, and MACRO have pledged their support for producer health insurance within their budgets. The guild advocates for contributions from production entities towards industry-wide health insurance programs for PGA-accredited producers or direct payments as budgetary line items to assist eligible producers in obtaining private insurance.
Jason Blum, CEO and founder of Blumhouse, expressed support for the initiative, emphasizing the importance of solidarity among producers in the absence of a formal union. He underscored the benefits of looking out for one another within the industry and commended the leadership behind the initiative.
While acknowledging the financial challenges faced by Hollywood’s traditional giants, the PGA proposes an additional allocation of $3.33 per hour in production budgets for producers requiring private insurance, recognizing the potential resistance to adding further costs amid financial pressures.
The PGA’s initiative offers options for major entities to contribute to a health insurance fund covering “qualified producers with credits recognized by the PGA.” This includes funding through industry plans or union contracts for eligible producers on qualifying productions, as well as direct payment line items in production budgets for producers without access to existing industry plans or union contracts.
Unlike other guilds, the PGA does not engage in collective bargaining or negotiate contracts with major studios, given the managerial role of most film and TV producers.
Allain and De Line hailed the initiative as an opportunity for the industry to support producers and pave the way for future generations. They applauded the pioneering efforts of Blumhouse, Legendary, MACRO, and Berlanti Productions, urging all production companies to join the essential movement.
The PGA’s focus on healthcare solutions for its members stems from the efforts of member Harvey Wilson and the advocacy of past presidents Gail Berman and Lucy Fisher during their tenure from 2018 to 2022.
