You're aware of the ongoing hot political debate in Washington D.C. about health care in America. But are you aware of a related reckless mind-set of some young adults?

U.S. President Barack Obama wants to make fundamental changes to how Americans receive and pay for health services. Others say, "Not so fast!" So now the United States is in the middle of a big political fight.

Vertical Thought is not a political organization and doesn't take sides in political debates. Facts can be hard to sift through with the heated rhetoric, but both sides in this political battle seem to have settled on the figure of around 40 million uninsured people in the country, although some professionals in the health care industry reckon a smaller number that.

The health-care debate oddity

According to a study by the Commonwealth Fund, 3.7 million of the uninsured are adults from age 19 to 29. Many entry-level jobs do not offer health insurance, and it can be expensive and complicated for young people to get health insurance on their own. Finances are tight for many unemployed or underemployed young people.

Still, many of these young adults are uninsured, not because they don't have access to health insurance, but because they haven't been convinced of the risk. Some have decided that they don't need it and don't want to pay for it. Their reasoning: they're young and healthy, and they'd rather spend their money on other things.

This group has been given a name—the "Young Invincibles." I suppose they think the risk of a serious illness or accident is low, so why buy insurance when that money can be spent on fun?

Invincibility illness

Is that a wise decision or are the "Young Invincibles" putting their future at risk in exchange for short-term gain?

Careful consideration should lead us to see that the "Young Invincibles" could be mortgaging their future to pay for today. It's true that the risk of serious illness is low for this age group, but if it does come, the results can be catastrophic. Just a couple of days in the hospital can rack up a bill of thousands of dollars in medical expenses.

How would a "Young Invincible" pay for that?

Invincibility accident

Young adults are vigorous people. Perhaps a more likely scenario would be an accident—a broken bone or an injury that requires treatment.

Do you know that just walking into an emergency room and getting examined can cost hundreds of dollars? That's even before medical staff start taking x-rays and MRIs, which can be additional hundreds or thousands of dollars.

Those medical expenses can add up in a hurry and leave a "Young Invincible" in financial crisis. A 2009 study from the American Journal of Medicine found that medical bills caused 62 percent of personal bankruptcies.

Vertical prudence

A vertical thinker isn't concerned just about today but prepares for the future. Damaged credit can haunt a person for years. Since many employers run credit checks, it may even prevent someone from getting that dream job.

People often don't think the Bible has practical advice for the modern world, but the book of Proverbs is full of timeless wisdom applicable even today. Notice this important example: "A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished" (Proverbs 22:3).

Applied to these well-to-do American "Young Invincibles," it means that medical bills are a foreseeable evil and medical insurance is a way of hiding from it. Pass on the medical insurance and one could get punished with medical bills creating a huge debt load.

To help yourself avoid a similar predicament, read "Avoiding Financial Black Holes."

However the political debate on health care ends, we need to be long-term thinkers. Carefully consider the risks and choose wisely. VT