3. My Perfect Health Care ꟷ An Uncomfortable Paradox
- T Michael White MD FACP
- Oct 15
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 21
ABC-STEEEP
Affordable Basic Compassionate
Safe Timely Efficient Effective Equitable
Patient-Centered Care
Letters to the File
T Michael White MD FACP
******
My Perfect Health Care ꟷ An Uncomfortable Paradox
“Life is strong and fragile. It's a paradox... It's both things, like quantum physics:
It's a particle and a wave at the same time. It all exists all together.”
Joan Jett
The WhiteHouse on the Belleair Bluff
Tuesday, October 15, 2025
Dr. Mike,
A letter to the file…
You find yourself compelled to take on the advancement of universal access to affordable, basic, compassionate, safe, timely, efficient, effective, equitable (just) patient-centered care (ABC-STEEEP). One may conclude that your motivation to step forward into this overwhelming, daunting undertaking stems from your own personal frustrations with your health care. Nothing could be further from the truth. You are and have been the beneficiary of perfect health care.
You find yourself addressing an uncomfortable paradox ꟷ while having grave concern for our fine citizens’ access to ABC-STEEEP, you sit comfortably in a health care catbird seat. How can this be? Stepping back to explore this paradox…
Through serendipity, you have had the wisdom to choose your ancestors well. To date your health care interventions have been modest.
You have had the patience and good luck to age into Medicare. Medicare provides you with a medical, dental, vision and pharmaceutical fiscal safety net.
Importantly, you have the personal resources to afford, quite reasonable but at times substantial, Medicare premiums, co-pays, co-insurance and deductibles.
You live in a community that is positioned to offer superb (primary, urgent, emergency, hospital and professional) care.
Within Medicare, you have chosen an, enlightened award-winning 5-Star Medicare Advantage Plan that has skillfully created a product (and a culture) that strives to provides ABC-STEEEP to its membership.
Within your Medicare Advantage Plan, you have chosen to have a primary care internist/geriatrician who partners with you to meticulously oversee your longitudinal care and expertly address acute illnesses.
Yourself a physician, you have these advantages:
You are adept at knowing when it is (and when it is not) necessary to seek care.
You are adept at constructing and maintaining your accurate, up-to-date and legible personal medical record and you keep it at your fingertips.
You are adept at preparing to efficiently seek care by 1) updating your personal medical record and 2) presenting for care with a crisp, concise statement of why you are seeking care at that specific moment.
You are knowledgeable about the advantages of a healthy lifestyle (diet, exercise, habits, risks, etc.) and you are positioned to (most of the time) make good choices.
You are adept at using artificial intelligence (such as Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic searches) to guide self-care ꟷ to logically access necessary care; and, when necessary, to efficiently navigate through complex care.
And, importantly, you have explored and come to understand your health care desires and wishes:
You have thoughtfully chosen health care surrogates who are prepared to speak for you should you lose the capacity to speak for yourself;
You have carefully considered your health care desires and wishes (your advanced directives ꟷ your health care goals);
You have been able to clearly articulate your health care goals to yourself and…
You have clearly articulated them to your personal health care surrogates; Therefore…
You have confidence (and peace of mind) that your surrogates understand your desires and wishes and are prepared to respectfully implement them on your behalf.
In your 79th year, all finds you well. Will your good health persist? One can hope. Will your perfect health care infrastructure survive as long as you do? One must pray. (540 words)
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
3. My Perfect Health Care ꟷ An Uncomfortable Paradox
(more to follow)
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