BMI launches free health help for US songwriters
BMI has launched a free service to help its songwriters and composers in the United States find health cover for themselves and their families.
The service is called BMI Health Connect. BMI confirmed the launch on 16 September, as reported by Music Business Worldwide. The service is free.
BMI Health Connect was created with Gallagher Alternative Health Solutions, part of global insurance brokerage Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. It links BMI's US affiliates with insurance advisers for one-to-one guidance on their options. BMI chief executive Mike O'Neill and Gallagher's US Benefits Business Leader Robby White were named in the announcement.
Creators can use the service to compare Affordable Care Act exchange plans, the government marketplaces for regulated health insurance, alongside private off-exchange plans and Medicare, the federal health programme mainly for people aged 65 and over. Dental, vision and other insurance offerings are also included. The service covers plans eligible for cost-sharing subsidies, discounts that lower out-of-pocket costs, and BMI says users can draw on hundreds of health insurance offerings, according to BMI.
Affiliates and their immediate family members speak by phone with Gallagher's licensed professionals. The call reviews household size, budget, existing cover and life stage. All personal information is handled by Gallagher in line with HIPAA, the US law that sets privacy rules for health information, and other applicable privacy laws.
BMI is a rights organisation. It represents public performance rights, the licences that pay writers when music is played publicly, in more than 25 million musical works. It said in 2022 that it would shift from a not-for-profit basis to a for-profit business model. A group led by New Mountain Capital closed its acquisition of BMI in February 2024.
In March 2025, BMI introduced Spark, a programme offering affiliated creators career, educational and wellbeing resources. Health Connect sits alongside that work.
What makes this stand out is practical. For writers without an employer plan, this means help to compare complex choices with a person, not just a website.
