12. The 2025 United States Health Care Contract
- T Michael White MD FACP
- Oct 26
- 4 min read
ABC-STEEEP
Affordable Basic Compassionate
Safe Timely Efficient Effective Equitable
Patient-Centered Care
Letters to the File
T Michael White MD FACP
******
12. The 2025 United States Health Care Contract
“We're all in a social contract.
Whether we like it or not, we live in each other’s good graces”.
John Popper
The WhiteHouse on the Belleair Bluff
Saturday, October 25, 2025
Dr. Mike,
A letter to the file…
The average American, including you Dr. Mike, is basically misinformed regarding access to health care. Truth ꟷ it is not a right. To eliminate ingrained misperceptions, today each citizen must be presented with, carefully read and then sign the following United States health care contract.
******
The 2025 United States Health Care Contract
July 4th
Citizen of These Fine United States
Greetings.
You are free to purse happiness in our fine United States. When it comes to your health, our fine country wishes you well. While giving you every encouragement to experience good health, your fine country reminds you that when it comes time to access health care, you are on your own. For clarification:
If (having chosen your ancestors well) you are gifted good health; if you respect your gift; if you avoid serious illness and accident; and if you have the wisdom to not live too long ꟷ good luck with all of that ꟷ you start with a health care leg up.
Should you require significant care, you may reliably trust that fine, impeccably trained ‘Better Angels’ will step forward in your time of need with courage and expertise and provide you with world-class care (C-STEEEP).
If you are well-employed and healthy,:
You will likely to 1) have employer-sponsored health insurance; 2) be able to afford your pricey premiums, deductibles, co-pays and co-insurance; and 3) perceive that you are well-insured.
However, should you become significantly ill or injured, despite insurance, your care may become excessively expensive. If your situation is prolonged, your perception of being well-insured may soon erode.
If you are age 26 or younger and your parents have employer-sponsored health insurance, #3 above applies to you. At age 27 and beyond, you are counseled to have employer-sponsored health insurance (i.e., to have a job). Note: If you have a job that you hate that provides you with employer-sponsored health insurance, your next steps in life-decision-making may prove complex.
If you live paycheck to paycheck:
If you have purchased subsidized basic health insurance, as soon as significant illness or accident intervene, you will immediately be overwhelmed by and unable to afford your premiums, deductibles, co-pays and co-insurance and you will immediately comprehend that you are essentially uninsured. The great American health care paradox ꟷ insured when healthy but uninsured when ill.
If you cannot afford to purchase basic health insurance, as soon as significant illness or accident intervene, you will immediately be financially overwhelmed by the expense of your care.
Some sad good (sort of) news. If you find yourself impoverished by the complexities of life, you may (or may not) qualify for Medicaid. If you do qualify for Medicaid, the program still may or may not apply to you as funding is continuously on a Congressional slippery slope. However, if you qualify for and successfully enroll in Medicaid, government sponsored health care will provide you access to care.
As a reward for service, Veterans may be eligible for well-deserved, well-earned government sponsored care.
Some better news. If you have had the wisdom to age into Medicare, you will have access to stable (for the moment at least) government sponsored care. If you live on a fixed income and do not have personal savings, you may still find it a struggle to keep up with reasonable premiums, co-pays, co-insurance and deductibles.
Some really good news: if you have first-rate private insurance (with or without Medicare) and if you are protected by considerable personal wealth, you (able to address premiums, co-pays, co-insurance and deductibles) are well-insured and you are among the minority of citizens positioned to enjoy a lifetime of superb, world-class United States health care.
Three cautionary caveats:
Referred to premiums, deductibles, co-pays and co-insurance are ever increasing.
If you are self-pay (uninsured) your provider, hospital and pharmacy charges will likely be significantly greater than the charges insurance companies pay.
Uninsured and (increasingly) insured individuals and families facing significant health care bills are finding their career, education, food and housing securities are being negatively impacted.
Signed: Dated:
Your signature above reflects that you have read this The 2025 United States Health Care Contract.
Salutations
******
Respectfully submitted with fondest personal regards,
Dr. Mike
You may leave an anonymous comment without username and email ꟷ please do. Please share your wisdom, insights and perceptions (your reality) about what I have right, wrong and/or omitted. I will be delighted to hear from you as this draft and subsequent chapters will be significantly enhanced.
Dr. Mike
Letters to the File
Introduction to ABC-STEEEP ꟷ Letters to the File
About Dr. Mike
My Perfect Health Care ꟷ An Uncomfortable Paradox
From the Watershed into Universal Access to ABCSTEEEP
Privilege = Responsibility ꟷ Sounding Our National Health Care Alarm
Quality United States Health Care Defined ꟷ ABCSTEEEP
United States Health Care ꟷ Sounding a Three-Alarm Fire
Health Care ꟷ Recruiting Devine Intervention
Health Care as a Right ꟷ The Fundamental American Misperception
See, Say and Do Something: The Doctor Is In ꟷ $0.00
Health Care ꟷ The Wolf Is (and Has Been) at Our Door
The 2025 United States Health Care Contract
(more to follow)
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