ObamaCare May Chase Entertainment Productions Out of U.S.

Some of Hollywood’s biggest players rallied around President Barack Obama’s re-election, a leader whose signature first-term initiative was the health care overhaul known as ObamaCare.

Hollywood is expected to play a role in ObamaCare’s rollout, with several celebrities being asked to promote the already passed legislation in the months to come and industry players potentially adding pro-ObamaCare plots into their stories.

Now that industry types have read some of the fine print, they’re realizing Obama’s health reform may chase productions out of the country.

One of the unintended consequences, say some industry insiders, is that it could lead to productions running to foreign countries, given that ACA doesn’t apply to U.S. citizens working abroad. Some also say the number of production days in the U.S. are likely to be cut due to ACA because there’s a 90-day waiting period before productions must either pay a penalty or offer health insurance to full-time workers. That rule provides big incentives for a production to wrap in less than three months. While big-budget movies and season-long TV shows might not have such a luxury, smaller films or TV pilots could easily rush their schedules to make sure they come in at under 90 days.