Directors Guild of America

What Directors Guild of America does

The Directors Guild of America – Producer Pension and Health Plans (DGA-PPHP, DBA "DGA Plans") is a multi-employer Taft-Hartley trust fund established through collective bargaining between the Directors Guild of America and motion picture, television, and commercial production employers. Founded in 1969 for the Health Plan (with the DGA itself dating to 1960), the organization is headquartered at 5055 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles and is jointly governed by a Board of Trustees composed of DGA and Producer representatives under California law. It provides health insurance and pension benefits exclusively to DGA-covered workers — directors, assistant directors, unit production managers, and related crew — and their eligible dependents, with eligibility earned through minimum covered-earnings thresholds under the Basic/Freelance Live and Tape Television Agreement and the Commercial Agreement.

The product architecture comprises tiered Health Plans (DGA Premier Choice Plan, DGA Choice Plan, plus Gold/Silver/Bronze self-pay tiers for COBRA and Extended Self-Pay participants) and two Pension Plans (a Basic defined-benefit plan and an account-based Supplemental Plan), with coverage types spanning Earned Coverage, Regular Carry-Over, Certified Retiree Coverage, Retiree Carry-Over, COBRA, and Extended Self-Pay. Benefits are administered through an ecosystem of contracted third-party administrators — Anthem Blue Cross (medical), CVS Caremark (pharmacy), Delta Dental (dental), VSP (vision), UCLA Health/EIMG clinics (industry care), LiveHealth Online (telemedicine), and Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Core (international claims) — accessed via the proprietary myPHP online benefits portal with embedded DocuSign e-signature. The plan is HIPAA-compliant and serves U.S. and international participants.

The economic model is funded primarily by mandatory employer contributions from signatory producers — 8.75% to pension and 11.25% to health under Basic/FLTTA (effective July 1, 2025), and 8.75% + 0.45% CIAF pension and 11.25% health under the Commercial Agreement (effective December 1, 2025). Participant cost-sharing applies for dependents ($780–$1,200/year premiums), deductibles ($325–$750 individual), and co-insurance (10% network under Premier Choice, higher non-network rates). The plan operates without venture or equity ownership and has no publicly disclosed financials, consistent with its status as a trust fund rather than a commercial enterprise.

Name

Directors Guild of America

Legal name

Directors Guild of America – Producer Pension and Health Plans

Website

https://dgaplans.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Directors Guild of America – Producer Pension and Health Plans is a Taft-Hartley multi-employer trust that delivers tiered health insurance and pension benefits to DGA-covered directors, assistant directors, unit production managers, and their dependents, funded by negotiated employer contributions and administered through the myPHP portal and third-party carriers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Multiemployer Health and Pension Benefits

NAICS

Pharmacy Benefit Management and Other Third Party Administration of Insurance and Pension Funds (524292), Health and Welfare Funds (525120), Pension Funds (525110)

SIC

Hospital & Medical Service Plans (6324), Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAEALAK

Flexible Benefits Administration (FSA/HSA/HRA)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Health Insurance & Managed Care/Third-Party Administration (TPA) & Administrative Services Only (ASO)

Keywords

• Multiemployer health benefits
• Pension plan administration
• Union benefit services
• Health insurance coverage
• Retirement benefits management

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Employer Contributions: Signatory production companies make contributions to the Health and Pension Plans based on covered salary. Contribution percentages are determined by collective bargaining agreements (Basic/Freelance Live and Tape Television Agreement, Commercial Agreement). Contribution rates: 8.75% to Pension, 11.25% to Health (Basic/FLTTA effective July 1, 2025); 8.75% to Pension with 0.45% CIAF and 11.25% to Health (Commercial Agreement effective December 1, 2025).
2. Participant Cost Sharing: Participants share healthcare costs through dependent premiums ($780/year for one dependent, $1,200/year for two or more), annual deductibles ($325 individual/$975 family), co-insurance (10% network, higher for non-network), and services not covered by the plan. COBRA and Extended Self-Pay coverage available at higher premium rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The DGA-PPHP administers multiemployer health and pension benefits to Directors Guild of America members and their dependents under collective bargaining agreements with motion picture, television, and commercial producers. It provides tiered health coverage (medical, prescription, dental, vision, mental health, preventive, parental leave, palliative care) and pension benefits (Basic defined-benefit plan and Supplemental defined-contribution plan), delivered via the myPHP self-service portal and a network of contracted third-party administrators.

Product overview

The Directors Guild of America – Producer Pension and Health Plans (DGA-PPHP) is a union benefit organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of pension and health insurance products to Directors Guild of America members. The product architecture consists of two main pillars: Health Plans (offering tiered coverage through DGA Premier Choice Plan and DGA Choice Plan for earned coverage, with self-pay options including DGA Gold, Silver, and Bronze plans for COBRA/Extended Self-Pay) and Pension Plans (including the Basic Pension Plan providing lifetime benefits and the Supplemental Pension Plan offering account-based distributions). These are administered through the myPHP Online Benefits Portal, a digital platform enabling participants to manage benefits, track eligibility, view claims, and complete forms via DocuSign. Coverage types include Earned Coverage, Carry-Over Coverage (regular and retiree), Certified Retiree Coverage, COBRA Continuation, and Extended Self-Pay. The organization partners with Anthem Blue Cross (medical), CVS Caremark (pharmacy), Delta Dental (dental), VSP Vision (vision), and other third-party administrators for claims processing and benefits delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• myPHP: Online benefits portal for DGA members and their dependents to access pension and health benefits information, view claims, track eligibility, and manage documents.

Products and services

• DGA Premier Choice Plan Highest-tier earned health plan providing 90% network / 70% non-network co-insurance, $325 individual / $975 family deductibles, $1,000 network out-of-pocket limit per person, and no participant premium. Includes medical, prescription, dental, and vision coverage. Available to participants meeting the $133,670 covered earnings threshold.
• DGA Choice Plan Standard-tier earned health plan providing 90% network / 60% non-network co-insurance, $750 individual / $2,250 family deductibles, and no network out-of-pocket limit. Includes medical, prescription, dental, and vision coverage. Available to participants meeting the $41,215 covered earnings threshold.
• DGA Self-Pay Health Plans (Gold, Silver, Bronze) Self-pay health plan tier offered to COBRA Continuation and Extended Self-Pay participants in three sub-tiers (Gold, Silver, Bronze). Higher premiums than Earned Coverage plans with deductibles varying by tier; Gold offers benefits comparable to Premier/Choice at higher cost, Silver offers mid-tier benefits, and Bronze provides entry-level coverage with the lowest premiums and highest cost-sharing. Includes medical, prescription, dental, and vision coverage.
• Basic Pension Plan Defined-benefit pension plan providing lifetime monthly benefits based on covered earnings and years of service. Participants become vested after 5 years for single-life benefits or 10 years for survivor benefits. Full benefits are available at age 65. Includes carry-over credits and survivor benefit provisions.
• Supplemental Pension Plan Individual account-based defined-contribution pension plan with professional portfolio management. Full benefits are available at age 60. Offers partial distributions (one-time $5,000+, monthly $2,000+, quarterly $5,000+, or semi-annual), required minimum distributions, and loan provisions. Accepts rollovers from outside plans.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Anthem Blue CrosscoreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary medical insurance carrier and PPO network provider for the Health Plan. Administers medical claims, provides network provider access through Anthem's provider network, and issues member ID cards.
• CVS CaremarkcoreTechnology or IntegrationPharmacy benefit manager handling prescription drug coverage, specialty medications, and prescription claims processing for plan participants.
• Delta DentalcoreTechnology or IntegrationDental benefit manager providing network dentist access and processing dental claims for Health Plan participants.
• VSP VisioncoreTechnology or IntegrationVision benefit manager providing network eye care providers, eyewear coverage, and vision claims processing.
• UCLA Health / EIMG Health ClinicscoreTechnology or IntegrationIndustry-specific health clinics in Los Angeles area providing specialized healthcare services tailored for entertainment industry workers.
• E-Bill ExpresscoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline bill payment platform enabling participants to pay Health Plan premiums by phone, online, or through recurring automatic payments.
• Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEntertainment industry health organization providing additional health resources and support for industry workers; listed as benefits partner on the DGA-PPHP website.
• Blue Cross Blue Shield Global CorecoreTechnology or IntegrationInternational claims processing and provider network for participants who receive medical care outside the United States.
• DocuSigncoreTechnology or IntegrationElectronic signature integration within myPHP portal allowing participants to complete and submit forms digitally without printing and mailing.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Writers Guild of America Health Fund: Multi-employer health and welfare trust for WGA-covered writers in film, television, and streaming. Operates with the same Taft-Hartley structure, collective-bargaining contribution model, and entertainment-industry participant base as DGA-PHP.
• American Federation of Musicians & Employers' Pension Fund: Multi-employer defined-benefit pension plan for AFM musicians working under union collective bargaining agreements. Comparable Taft-Hartley structure, entertainment-industry membership, and defined-benefit pension obligations.
• SAG-AFTRA Health Plan: Multi-employer health and welfare fund providing medical, dental, vision, and pension benefits to SAG-AFTRA members in film, television, and broadcast. Directly comparable in structure (Taft-Hartley trust), participant base (entertainment industry), and service offering (tiered PPO health plans plus pension).
• IATSE National Health & Welfare Fund: Taft-Hartley health and welfare trust providing medical, dental, vision, and prescription benefits to IATSE stagehands, crew, and related entertainment production workers. Directly comparable multiemployer plan with similar contribution structure and entertainment-industry concentration.
• Motion Picture Industry Health Plan: Multi-employer health plan covering teamsters, prop masters, and other below-the-line motion picture production workers in the Western U.S. Operates on similar collective-bargaining contribution model and provides comparable tiered PPO health benefits to entertainment-industry members.
• MPIPHP (Motion Picture Industry Pension & Health Plans): Multi-employer pension and health plan for IATSE-covered crew and related motion picture production workers in the studio zone. Highly comparable Taft-Hartley trust structure with both health and pension benefits delivered to entertainment-industry participants.
• AFTRA Retirement Plan: Defined-contribution retirement plan for SAG-AFTRA members, including actors, broadcasters, and recording artists. Comparable in targeting entertainment-industry participants under multiemployer collective bargaining, though focused exclusively on retirement rather than health benefits.
• Screen Actors Guild-Producers Pension Plan: Defined-benefit multiemployer pension plan for SAG-covered actors in motion pictures, television, and commercials. Operates under the same joint union-producer governance model and serves an overlapping entertainment-industry participant population.

Broad incumbents

• Teamsters Western Conference Pension Trust: Large multi-employer defined-benefit pension trust for Teamsters-covered workers across the Western U.S., including entertainment and logistics. Comparable in Taft-Hartley structure and DB pension obligations, though covering a much broader industry base than DGA-PHP.

Regional players

• Directors Guild of Canada – DGC Benefits: Canadian counterpart to the DGA, providing health and pension benefits to Canadian directors and production crew under Canadian collective bargaining. Directly comparable in mandate (director-focused benefit plan) and product mix (health + pension) but serves a Canadian member base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/directors-guild-of-america--produce---pension-and-health-plans

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Directors Guild of America