Turopium announces healthcare initiative for US-based creators

Global talent management agency, Turopium, has announced plans to offer its US creators access to healthcare.

Launching its healthcare initiative on 1 April 2022, US-based creators working with Turopium will have access to Turopium-sponsored health, dental, vision and life insurance coverage.

The initiative will be offered to all current creators based in the US, as well as new creators who sign with Turopium in the future.

Founded in 2020, Turopium is a full-service talent management agency which specialises in creating original relationships between brands and content creators. In 2021 the firm acquired Chicago-based talent management business GG Talent Group, expanding Turopium’s presence into the US.

Eric Harper, senior vice president at Turopium, said: “We’re always looking to add more services for our creators that go above and beyond. Not only do we want to elevate their careers, we also want to offer support in other aspects of their lives.

“Social media usage has been linked to negative mental health outcomes. When you base your entire career across these social platforms, anxiety, depression and a host of other conditions often follow.

“In the US healthcare isn’t readily available for content creators, especially if you are no longer benefiting from family coverage. We wanted to think outside of the box on how we can support our creators should they need to cover medical expenses, as well as being able to access mental health services such as therapy and prescriptions.”

In 2021, the New York Times reported* that young TikTok creators were burning out and breaking down over the pressures and challenges of building, managing and monetising followings online. This was also seen in previous years across platforms such as Instagram and YouTube, with creators stepping away and citing mental health as the reason.

Twitch streamer and YouTuber, SDShepard, commented: "Content creators in the USA have always faced an overwhelming burden to their lifestyle and that is the confusing and expensive healthcare marketplace. Some of us are lucky to have family or spouses that can cover us, but those solutions are almost always expensive and unreliable.

“Turopium being the first agency to make the move into getting their creators healthcare is a game changer. It is yet one more way they ensure that we have the ability to remain self-sufficient and focus on providing the best content on the internet."

With the recent acquisition of GG Talent Group and working with US-based creators, Turopium embarked on a viability study on offering creators access to healthcare when they need it. While having conversations with its roster of creators and considering their needs beyond their career, it was clear that a healthcare plan would be a great benefit.

Eric added: “Every talent management agency says that they are creator-first, that’s the nature of the business. But it’s actions like this that set us apart from our competitors. When we say creator first, we mean it.

“We need to think of creators as people first, not just what they do for their career. Every creator should have the support they need to succeed and that goes beyond how big their following is or how much money they have in the bank.”

Turopium will offer US-based content creators on its roster health insurance coverage from 1st April 2022.

For more information on Turopium, visit https://www.turopium.com