Is it better to join an association and become part of a group health insurance plan?

Host: Is it better to join an association and become part of a group health insurance plan?

Bob Hurley: Again, I get asked all the time as a independent writer should I join the association of writers because I can get access to a health insurance plan and typically, I wouldn't join the association just for the sake of getting a health insurance and the reason for that is often times the rates for an association are going to be, often times higher than what you can actually get on your own and the reason for that is once an association develops overtime that association now is being rated based on the health conditions of all the people that are in that association and so the prices start to creep up typically on those associations and so if you are a healthy person and you feel that you can be underwritten successfully and what that means is you don't have any serious pre-existing conditions, you can usually do better on the price if you just simply go out and apply for health insurance on your own and get your own policy.

Now with that said, if you are somebody though that has a health condition, some kind of pre- existing condition, then your best bet maybe to join an association and try to reap the benefits of that association membership by typing into their health insurance programs that they make available.