Heather Matarazzo has decades of film and television credits, but she says she still needs more qualifying work to maintain her SAG-AFTRA health coverage.
The 43-year-old actor made the disclosure while responding to fellow performer Jack Haven, who recently appealed publicly for enough SAG-AFTRA-covered work to keep their own insurance.
“I am literally in the same boat right now,” Matarazzo wrote on Threads. “Lots of my fellow actors are.”
Matarazzo did not disclose how much she personally still needs to earn. SAG-AFTRA Health Plan eligibility depends on covered earnings or qualifying work days during a specific period, meaning a long résumé that includes Welcome to the Dollhouse, The Princess Diaries and a recent role on Wednesday does not automatically provide continued coverage.
Matarazzo Says Other Actors Are Facing the Same Problem
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Matarazzo said she remembered a time when actors did not have to reach a minimum earnings threshold to qualify for insurance and emphasized that the problem extends well beyond her own career.
Matarazzo played Judi Spannagel in the second season of Netflix’s Wednesday, adding another recognizable credit to a career that began when she was a child.
Health Plan eligibility, however, is based on current covered earnings rather than an actor’s lifetime body of work. Only wages from qualifying SAG-AFTRA-covered employment for which an employer makes the required Health Plan contributions count toward the earnings threshold.
Matarazzo also celebrated Haven’s announcement that an offer had come through that could help them qualify for 2027 coverage. She has not said whether her own post has led to new work.
Jack Haven Publicly Asked Hollywood for $4,000 in Qualifying Work
Haven drew wider attention to the issue with a video titled “Are You Casting?” in which they said they needed another $4,000 in qualifying earnings by the end of September to obtain SAG-AFTRA health coverage beginning in January.
Rather than asking for a particular acting role, the Atypical star said they were willing to take virtually any qualifying production work and listed abilities including acting, singing, dancing and performing accents.
The appeal spread widely enough that Haven soon returned with an update saying they had received numerous offers.
“I got a lot of offers,” they said while thanking viewers for circulating the video and helping connect them with potential work.
The SAG-AFTRA Health Plan Threshold Rises in 2027
The SAG-AFTRA Health Plan requires $28,090 in covered earnings for benefit periods using the 2026 threshold. That figure rises to $28,933 for 2027.
Participants can qualify through an alternative route by reaching 108 Eligibility Days during their Base Earnings Period. Once a participant meets either requirement, the plan provides 12 months of earned health coverage.
Members who fall short do not necessarily lose every possible avenue to insurance immediately. Their earned coverage ends when the current benefit period expires, after which the plan provides information about continuation options such as COBRA and, for eligible participants, Extended Career COBRA.
Matarazzo has not announced another role since discussing her insurance situation. A third Princess Diaries movie remains in development, but she has not been confirmed to return as Lilly Moscovitz.