Brooklyn, NY - May 18, 2004 - A series of new subway ads are likely to draw double-takes from the up to one million New York City freelancers who may be struggling to find affordable health insurance coverage.

Working Today, the nonprofit group focused on the independent workforce, is behind the new ad campaign, which promotes the availability of affordable HMO insurance through Working Today's Freelancers Union.

Ads Resonate With Freelancers Who Lack Coverage

The four ads began appearing yesterday, May 17, and will run for eight weeks, ending on July 11, 2004. The vivid and colorful ads feature humorous taglines that illuminate the anxiety of independent workers who lack health coverage, including "Marry for Love, Not Health Insurance," and "Your Primary Care Physician Shouldn't Be a Website." The Amalgamated ad agency created the series of ads, which will appear on all subway lines.

Said Sara Horowitz, Executive Director of Working Today: "The health insurance offered through Freelancers Union has been catching on quickly with New York's swelling ranks of self-employed, from artists and consultants to writers and web designers. Still, many aren't familiar with Freelancers Union, or how easy it is to access this lower-cost coverage. We hope this campaign builds on the success of our previous advertising efforts, which expanded the program's enrollment by the thousands."

Freelancers Union: Affordable Health Insurance For The One Million-Plus Freelancers In New York City

Over the last few years, Working Today's Freelancers Union has emerged as a key conduit and group-rate sponsor of affordable health, life and disability insurance for several thousand New York-based freelancers and independent workers. Qualifying freelancers can secure HMO health coverage with one of the state's largest private providers for about $280 per month through Freelancers Union, compared with the average, open-market HMO premium of $521 per month for an individual.

Added Ms. Horowitz: "Independent workers have been unfairly punished for too long with high health insurance premiums simply because they fell outside the traditional W-2 employment model. Working Today brings this diverse group of highly educated, skilled workers together, and is able to negotiate a group rate for them similar to those of large companies. It's really just a matter of fairness and equality."