AN EXCITING NEW PARTNERSHIP
Expanding JWF services and making connections
By Claire Levine
Melanie Bobbett volunteered for nine years as both a JWF board member and the organization’s lead navigator before officially joining the staff in 2024. In each of these roles, she has not only facilitated countless financial grants, but she has also delivered a unique component of the JWF Musician Health & Services Program—helping people navigate the wild world of health care and insurance.
It’s impossible to overestimate what she and JWF’s Navigation Team bring to the organization, and how it sets The JWF apart from other groups supporting musicians with healthcare needs.
By recently entering JWF into a formal partnership with the Oregon Health Authority, Melanie is able to provide more help more quickly to people who need guidance about insurance coverage and accessing health care– and stay on top of the critical changes in this alarming period of federal change.
State-sponsored health care coverage and information.
Started in 1993, The Oregon Health Plan (Oregon’s Medicaid system) was a ground-breaking approach to health care coverage.
It was designed to expand Medicaid to people who normally made too much money to qualify but who couldn’t afford regular insurance.
The plan became a national model for meeting the medical needs of working people. It is administered through the state agency, The Oregon Health Authority (OHA).
With the passage of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), OHA was able to expand the number of people served by the Oregon Health Plan (OHP). And, the Affordable Care Act created the federal Marketplace where those not Medicaid-eligible can enroll in private health insurance and potential tax credit assistance.
Speeding the process through partnership.
Until recently, Melanie and the JWF Navigation team could only refer people to other organizations for OHP or Marketplace enrollment.
Over the past year, Melanie worked with the OHA’s Office of Community Health and Engagement to make JWFa partner with the agency. Now, instead of referring musicians elsewhere, she can help them apply for The Oregon Health Plan or Marketplace coverage -providing our community with direct support through the process and, beyond that, support navigating coverage to access health care. Melanie said, “It’s really exciting. Historically, if somebody came to us and needed help with insurance, I would have to refer them somewhere else.
“This takes out the extra handoff and waiting time,” she said. Plus, it means she can help people already enrolled deal with any problems.
“If they are confused about having to reapply or are having other technical difficulties, I can go into the system to see what’s going on,” rather than having to refer them to OHA or another organization for assistance, Melanie said.
Musician Norman Sylvester, Melanie Bobbett and Jeremy Wilson in action Oct 17, 2025 at the MUSIC HEALS THE SOUL – A Benefit Concert for LaRhonda Steele on her Journey Against Cancer.
In the loop and in the know. Melanie is already seeing additional benefits from this partnership. Networking with OHA staff and nonprofit representatives from across the state is a big step forward.
Information about policy and regulation is always critical in her line of work – perhaps never more so than right now, with recent federal-level changes to programs like Medicaid.. The OHA is the best source of information available, and as a partner, Melanie has access to frequent updates.
And, she said, “It connects me with other healthcare-oriented nonprofits and clinics. I am constantly learning what other programs and resources are out there relevant to our community.
“So, it's an avenue toward establishing more referral relationships with other organizations, and vice versa,” Melanie said. The networking opportunities are educating a whole new segment of service providers about The Musician Health & Services Program.
After introducing herself in an OHA collaborative meeting attended by various partner organizations across the region, Melanie said, she got a message: “You work with musicians? You should connect with my son. He’s at the musician’s union.”
And that led to an important new relationship – and a great two-way connection with this important union.
JWF also partners with 211.
“Our collaboration with the Jeremy Wilson Foundation has helped us better support musicians and underserved communities across Oregon and Clark County, Washington, by providing additional financial resources to our callers. In the past two years, we have referred 140 callers to the Foundation, reaching people in rural and urban areas, as well as communities that often face barriers to access and resources.” — Statement from 211
Thanks, Melanie! “Melanie and I have worked side by side for over ten years, and it should go without saying that JWF wouldn’t be here today without her. Through thick and thin—a pandemic, countless challenges, and the emotional weight of helping so many in our music community through their health struggles—Mel’s unwavering focus and compassion have been instrumental in getting JWF to where it is today.” – Jeremy Wilson, Founder & Executive Director
