1. Health

Fewer Associations Offer Health Plans

From Kelly Montgomery, About.com GuideApril 5, 2007

Self employed individuals are finding it more difficult to find health insurance coverage through professional associations. According to the L.A. Times, organizations like the California Association of Realtors may not be able to afford coverage, or may be dropped by insurance carriers. This is most likely due to the "death spiral" phenomenon: healthy association members are able to buy coverage through the individual market, leaving a smaller pool of sicker individuals in the association market. This drives premiums up until they are prohibitively high, so that only the sickest and most desperate people remain on the plan, which drives premiums up even further still.

Unfortunately, with one fewer option for purchasing health coverage available, people with preexisting conditions are even more likely to become uninsured.

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