Millennials shouldn't gamble their wealth on their health

Millennials are increasingly making traditional "adult" purchases. In 2015, Americans in their 20s and 30s bought four million vehicles - more than any generation other than the baby boomers - and over a third of millennials now own homes.

Unfortunately, nearly eight million millennials are putting such assets at risk by forgoing a far more important purchase - health insurance.

Viewing health coverage as a needless expense, these so-called "young invincibles" roll the dice that they will avoid serious accidents or illness.

Gambling with one's financial health by remaining uninsured is almost always a losing bet. An unexpected, uninsured trip to the hospital can result in financial ruin.

Some of those uninsured millennials may desire coverage but legitimately cannot afford it. There are, however, at least 1.5 million high-income young Americans who simply decline to buy policies.

This behavior persists in spite of estimates that the average American under the age of 65 has a one-in-ten chance of incurring over $30,000 in medical bills in any given year.

As health care grows more expensive, so does health insurance. The average premium for a mid-level "silver" plan through the Affordable Care Act's insurance exchanges for a 30-year-old individual is $312 a month, or roughly $3,700 a year.

With premiums so high, many millennials neglect to buy policies. The average uninsured American under the age of 65 will face total health care bills in any given year of $2,700. So these gamblers reckon that they're better off paying bills out-of-pocket and saving thousands by avoiding premiums.

That line of thinking, however, is dangerously shortsighted.

Purchasing health insurance is not about seeing a return at the end of the year. Rather, obtaining coverage helps reduce the risk of financial hardship resulting from unanticipated medical catastrophes.

Insurance plans have out-of-pocket maximums, which cap the amount consumers have to spend on health care in a single year.

Typical silver plans, for instance, ensure that individuals will not spend much more than $6,000 and families will not spend more than $12,000.

Without those caps, medical bills can be ruinous. Treating a particularly bad urinary tract infection - the second-most common type of infection - in the emergency room could cost up to $73,000.

With prices like those, it is no surprise that medical bills are the number one cause of bankruptcy in the United States.

Even if steep medical bills do not result in financial ruin, individuals and families could have to deplete their savings if they skip out on health insurance.

It may be tempting for young people to assume that they can ward off chronic diseases like heart disease or diabetes with proper diet and exercise, but nobody can eliminate the possibility of massive unexpected bills stemming from a car accident or cancer.

Buying insurance is a smart bet. And it does not need to be a hassle.

Consumers can outsource much of the legwork of researching and comparing policies to insurance agents and brokers.

Roughly three-quarters of agents spend their time explaining coverage options to clients.

That expert guidance is why consumers who sought assistance when signing up for exchange plans rated agents and brokers as more helpful than any other source of coverage information.

Young Americans are increasingly purchasing homes and vehicles.

Health insurance policies can help these millennials protect their new assets and avoid financial disaster.

Scott Wham Principals Council at the National

Association of Health Underwriters Washington, D.C.