Healthcare Support

Crosstown Arts provides administrative support to musicians and artists seeking healthcare for themselves and their dependents.

This free service is available to anyone in Memphis who identifies as part of the creative community (musicians, music creators, sound engineers, music producers, and visual or performing artists working in any medium) and is uninsured or seeking help to understand their healthcare options.

Crosstown Arts and Church Health want to ensure that every musician and artist in Memphis is familiar with the healthcare opportunities available to them and is receiving the care they need and deserve as part of Memphis’ creative community.

Crosstown Arts does not cover the cost of monthly healthcare premiums or fees for participants, but it does provide one-on-one assistance with healthcare enrollment through TennCare, the Affordable Care Act, and Church Health.

If you are a musician or artist who needs assistance accessing healthcare coverage, please email Kierra Davis at mckenzii@crosstownarts.org, call 901-201-0264, or fill out this interest form.

Healthcare Support is sponsored in part by an ArtsZone grant from AutoZone with additional funding provided by Tennessee Arts Commission.

Learn more about Healthcare Support


Healthcare Support FAQ

  • Why should I go through Crosstown Arts for help with healthcare?

    Crosstown Arts understands that many Memphis musicians and artists are self-employed or work a series of part-time jobs that don’t offer health insurance. This means that they are left to figure out what healthcare options they qualify for, how much each option costs, and what they need to do to register on their own. This process can be so overwhelming that many people avoid it and live without consistent access to affordable healthcare. It’s hard for musicians and artists to thrive when they are dealing with the stress of untreated medical problems and high medical bills. Crosstown Arts’ Healthcare Support Coordinator will be your advocate, helping you identify and understand all of your healthcare options through Church Health and a select group of government supported programs. When you choose the option that is right for you, Kierra will walk you through every step of the application process, helping you make sure that you have all of your documents in order and that you meet every deadline.

  • What if I don’t have any of my tax documents? Can Crosstown Arts still help me?

    Yes! Crosstown Arts’ Healthcare Support Coordinator can help you figure out what you’ll need to do in order to get new copies of your tax returns or to file for previous years.

  • How do I prove that I’m a musician or artist? What qualifies me to get healthcare support from Crosstown Arts? 

    All individuals who self-define as musicians or artists are eligible for Crosstown Arts’ healthcare support services regardless of their professional experience or level of expertise.

  • Do sound engineers and other production workers in the creative community qualify as “musicians or artists” who are eligible for Healthcare Support services through Crosstown Arts?

    Absolutely, yes.

  • Is “healthcare coverage through Church Health” the same thing as health insurance through companies like Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Humana?

    No. Church Health offers quality, affordable healthcare to the working uninsured by relying on donated services from volunteer doctors, area hospitals, and laboratories. For this reason, participants are not able to choose which doctors they see. Instead, they are assigned one primary care physician whom they see for every appointment and one hospital they can use in the case of an emergency. Insurance companies, on the other hand, have contracts with numerous doctors and facilities. Their clients are able to choose which doctors they see and which facilities they use. Additionally, while Church Health offers participants access to healthcare only in the greater Memphis area (because that is where the physicians and facilities who donate their services reside), insurance companies typically have contracts with physicians and facilities across the country.

  • If I qualify for Church Health’s MEMPHIS plan, can my dependents also get coverage?

    Yes. If you sign up for the MEMPHIS Plan, your spouse and/or legal dependents (as listed on your federal tax return) can sign up as well. The cost per month for each spouse/dependent is $25, with a $125 per month cap. Copays are $5 per visit, with the exception of dental and vision care (the costs of which are assessed on a sliding fee scale).

  • Do I get to choose what kind of health coverage I get? What if I qualify for TennCare or for a plan through the Affordable Care Act marketplace, but I’d rather be on the MEMPHIS Plan through Church Health instead?

    Due to legal restrictions, you cannot choose to be on the MEMPHIS Plan if you qualify for TennCare or for a plan through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. You can, however, opt to register as an established Church Health patient and receive medical care on a sliding fee scale.

  • How do I sign up?

    You can contact Healthcare Support Coordinator Kierra Davis by emailing kierra@crosstownarts.org, calling 901-507-4223, or filling out an Interest form here.


  • If you’ve utilized Crosstown Arts’ Healthcare Support services, let us know about your experience in this short survey. We are building this program together, and your input will help us improve it!

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