Our Little Boat Had a Big Day on Lake Michigan

Over Labor Day weekend, we finally checked something off our summer bucket list.

We took our little 18-foot runabout out onto Lake Michigan.

And when I say little, I mean that affectionately.

We love our boat.

She's adorable.

She's fun.

She is also approximately the size of the dinghy attached to some of the boats we encountered that day.

But at 10:00 that morning, none of that mattered.

We left Muskegon Harbor, and Lake Michigan was absolutely gorgeous.

The water was calm and that incredible aqua blue that makes you wonder why anyone ever needs to go to the Caribbean.

We cruised along the shoreline.

We jumped into the waves.

We had a picnic.

We admired the enormous yachts cruising farther offshore.

And I'm pretty sure at some point I thought, We should do this ALL the time.

Ah, optimism.

Apparently Everyone Else Owned a Boat, Too

Eventually, we decided it was time to head back.

Unfortunately, approximately 74,000 other boaters apparently looked at their watches at the exact same moment and had the same idea.

Suddenly, the big yachts we'd been admiring all afternoon weren't nearly as charming.

Because yachts make wakes.

Big yachts make BIG wakes.

And lots of big yachts heading toward the same harbor make the water behind them look like it has developed some sort of personal vendetta against 18-foot runabouts.

Our pleasant little cruise home quickly became:

Hold on.

SLOW DOWN.

Here comes another one!

WHY IS THAT BOAT SO BIG?!

We were being tossed around like a bath toy.

So we did the only sensible thing.

We slowed waaaaaay down and crawled back toward the harbor while the big boats sailed past us, presumably with people onboard sipping beverages and wondering why those poor people in the tiny boat looked so tense.

We eventually made it back safely.

And I learned two important lessons that day:

Lake Michigan is beautiful.

I would also like a yacht.

Naturally, I Found an Insurance Lesson in This

Occupational hazard.

Spend enough years working in health insurance and apparently you can find an insurance analogy anywhere.

But here's what occurred to me:

Almost any health insurance plan can look pretty good when you're not using much healthcare.

It's a little like our boat at 10:00 that morning.

Everything was great!

Look at us!

We're boating on Lake Michigan!

We're practically yacht people!

Then the conditions changed.

And suddenly, we became very aware of exactly what our little boat could — and could not — comfortably handle.

Health insurance can be a little like that.

When you're healthy and mostly using your coverage for routine appointments, prescriptions and preventive care, you may not think much about the details.

Then something changes.

Maybe you need an MRI.

Or a specialist.

Or an expensive prescription.

Or outpatient surgery.

Or you find yourself staring at a medical bill wondering whether the decimal point has accidentally wandered two places to the right.

That's usually when people start asking:

"Wait. What does my insurance actually cover?"

You Probably Don't Need a Yacht

Here's where my analogy breaks down slightly because, after our Lake Michigan adventure, I remain firmly convinced that I need a yacht.

Health insurance is different.

The most expensive plan isn't automatically the best plan.

The cheapest isn't automatically the worst.

And more benefits don't necessarily mean better coverage for you.

The important thing is knowing what you have and making sure it fits the way you actually use healthcare.

Do your doctors participate?

How are your prescriptions covered?

What's your deductible?

What happens if you end up in the hospital?

What might you pay for specialist care or outpatient services?

And if you travel, what happens when you need care away from home?

You don't need to become an insurance expert.

That's my job.

But you should at least know what kind of boat you're in.

And Please Don't Choose Your Boat Because Your Neighbor Likes Hers

This is one of my favorite things about health insurance.

Someone will tell me:

"My friend LOVES her plan."

That's wonderful.

I'm happy for your friend.

But unless you and your friend have the same doctors, prescriptions, medical needs, budget and lifestyle, her plan may have very little to do with what works for you.

That's like us looking at the 50-foot yacht cruising past and saying:

"Well, they seem happy. Let's get that one."

Maybe.

But first we should probably find out what it costs to put gas in it.

Know What You've Got Before the Waves Get Big

The biggest takeaway from our Lake Michigan adventure wasn't that our boat wasn't good enough.

We had a fantastic day in it.

The takeaway was simply that different conditions require different things.

That's true of healthcare, too.

Your needs at 45 may not be your needs at 55.

Your needs at 65 may not be your needs at 75.

A plan that fit beautifully several years ago might still be perfect today.

Or something may have changed.

That's why it's worth occasionally looking at your coverage and asking:

Does this still fit my life?

If the answer is yes, fantastic.

Keep boating.

If the answer is no, that's worth knowing before you hit rough water.

One More Thing...

We will absolutely take our little boat onto Lake Michigan again.

Because despite the slightly terrifying trip back, the rest of the day was wonderful.

Next time, however, I may pay a little more attention to boat traffic.

And possibly yacht listings.

Just for research purposes, obviously.

The same general principle applies to health insurance:

Enjoy the calm water. Just know what you've got in case things get a little choppy.

And if figuring out deductibles, networks, prescriptions and health insurance fine print feels about as appealing as navigating an 18-foot boat through yacht wakes on Lake Michigan...

That's where I come in.

Healthcare Made Easy.

Simplifying healthcare. Empowering you to live well.