What does Health and Retirement mean?
Health and Retirement refers to the SAG-AFTRA Health Plan and SAG-AFTRA Pension Plan — the two benefit programs funded by producer contributions on union productions that provide healthcare coverage and retirement income to qualifying SAG-AFTRA members. Producers pay a percentage of performer wages directly into the H&R funds on every union production. Performers qualify for health coverage by earning above a minimum threshold in covered earnings during a coverage period, and qualify for pension benefits through lifetime earnings in SAG-AFTRA productions. For working performers, H&R benefits are among the most valued components of union membership.
Example:The agent explained to the family that for their child actor to qualify for SAG-AFTRA health insurance, she would need to earn above the minimum threshold in union productions during the coverage year — a goal that the current booking pace made realistic but not guaranteed.
Example: The production’s budget included a line item for SAG-AFTRA Health and Retirement contributions — a percentage of every union performer’s wages paid directly to the benefit funds as a contractual requirement on all SAG-AFTRA signatory productions.
Did you know?
The SAG-AFTRA Health and Retirement funds have faced significant financial challenges in recent years, driven by the shift from traditional broadcast television — which generated reliable residuals that funded the plans — to streaming platforms that have historically paid lower residual rates. The 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike was substantially about securing improved streaming residuals to protect the long-term viability of the H&R funds — a fight that directly affected not just working performers but future retirees depending on the pension plan for their post-career financial security.
You can also find “Health and Retirement” and related terms in this category: Contracts and Agreements.
