In this episode of the Fully Armed Podcast, Chris Hennessee interviews Tatum Allsep, founder and CEO of Music Health Alliance. Tatum discusses how her organization provides vital healthcare resources to the music industry, transforming lives through advocacy and access to medical care.

Building Music Health Alliance

Tatum’s journey began while working in music industry relations at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. She realized the difficulties self-employed music professionals face in accessing healthcare. Inspired by this gap, she began her mission to improve healthcare access for the music community.

A Personal Struggle

Tatum’s personal healthcare crisis, when she gave birth to twins at 28 weeks and left the hospital with a half-million-dollar medical bill, revealed how broken the system was. This experience drove her to help others facing similar struggles in the music industry.

Founding Music Health Alliance

After co-founding Sound Healthcare, Tatum realized her passion lay in helping people rather than making a profit. She then founded Music Health Alliance in 2013, a nonprofit that provides free healthcare advocacy to music professionals. Their mission is to “protect, direct, and connect” musicians with healthcare resources.

How Music Health Alliance Works

Music Health Alliance helps anyone in the music industry who has worked for three or more years by:

Protecting: Finding ways to cover healthcare costs.
Directing: Guiding clients through their healthcare journey.
Connecting: Linking them to resources like financial assistance.
Services include mental health, dental care, and senior care, all at no cost.

Success Stories and Impact

Tatum shares how Music Health Alliance saved a musician who had a heart attack on tour, negotiating his bills and ensuring his recovery. Heal the Music Day, a fundraiser started by Rodney Crowell, supports their work, raising $400,000 in 2022 alone.

Challenges and the Future

Though Music Health Alliance has grown, funding is always a challenge. Operating on a $2.4 million budget, the organization relies on donations, grants, and corporate support. Despite this, Tatum remains focused on helping one person at a time, while advocating for broader healthcare reform.

Conclusion

Tatum Allsep’s work with Music Health Alliance has made a significant impact, helping countless musicians navigate the healthcare system. Her personal experience and passion have fueled her mission to ensure healthcare is a right, not a privilege. Music Health Alliance provides a lifeline to those in the music industry, helping them receive the care they need.

To support the cause, visit Music Health Alliance and participate in Heal the Music Day https://www.musichealthalliance.com