Over 4,400 entertainers and creatives in Jamaica now have access to life insurance through the newly launched Jamaica Entertainers and Creatives Insurance Plan (JECIP).
The program, unveiled in a contract signing ceremony on November 12 at the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, was spearheaded by Portfolio Minister Hon. Olivia Grange.
The JECIP, administered by Guardian Life Insurance Group, offers free life insurance coverage to registered members of the National Registry of Entertainment and Creative Industries Practitioners (E-Registry). Coverage extends to individuals aged 6 to 75, with an option to continue until age 99.
Minister Grange emphasized the importance of this initiative for the nation’s entertainment community, urging eligible individuals to enroll. “We are working so that the situation we faced in 2017/2018 will not be repeated,” she said. “In that year, 19 entertainers died, 70 percent of whom had inadequate insurance coverage, leaving them unable to afford proper funeral arrangements. This was particularly embarrassing, as many of these cultural practitioners have given so much to our country.”
Minister Grange stressed the need for financial preparedness, noting, “I don’t like to see us having to pass the hat around to bury anybody. It is important that you take this very, very seriously.”
Earlier this year, the Ministry’s Entertainment Division surveyed 142 individuals on the E-Registry, finding that most expressed interest in group life insurance but were unable to afford it. This feedback led to the creation of JECIP as a non-contributory plan, meaning no monthly contributions are required from registered participants.
The initiative also includes a phase two, scheduled for launch in January 2025, that will introduce group health insurance covering hospitalization, surgery, accidents, maternity, major medical expenses, and emergency care for those touring overseas.
Eric Hosin, Guardian Life’s Group Head of Life, Health, and Pensions, expressed the company’s commitment to the program, saying, “We are very pleased to be a part of this, because we know how important it is that you take care of your families.”
Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Dione Jennings, underscored the government’s commitment to social protection, noting, “The Ministry… joins with the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment, and Sport in a united mission to ensure that every Jamaican has access to the social protection they deserve, and no one is left behind.”
Jamaican entertainers and creatives who wish to participate are encouraged to register online or at the Entertainment Ministry’s offices.
