Not only is the coverage of your family's health needs important, it's essential. Beyond that, with media perils insurance, you're protected against legal claims resulting from what you write. Fine, that's okay. But there will be some day when, for some reason or another, you'll find you'll need to know about most, if not all, of these issues. If you're not hip on joining a union, that's okay.
Personal preference counts.
Well, in some respects. The more I realize that no man or woman freelancer is an island unto himself. I have NWU on my side. If I'm wrong, they'll tell me. If I screwed up or am misinformed, they'll tell me.