September 16, 2006

Health Care & the Economy

"The most startling fact about 2002 is that the combined profits for the ten drug companies in the Fortune 500 ($35.9 billion) were more than the profits for all the other 490 businesses put together ($33.7 billion)."
- Marcia Angell

But the very real problems with the health-care system mask a simple fact: Without it the nation's labor market would be in a deep coma. Since 2001, 1.7 million new jobs have been added in the health-care sector, which includes related industries such as pharmaceuticals and health insurance. Meanwhile, the number of private-sector jobs outside of health care is no higher than it was five years ago.

...

If medical spending rises to 25% of gross domestic product by 2030, as many economists expect, health care's share of jobs could grow to 15% or 16% of the labor market from today's 12%, based on historical patterns.

Such a shift in employment would require health care to be the single biggest creator of jobs in the economy for the foreseeable future. And while the U.S. could in theory afford to spend 25% of GDP on health care, it's hard to imagine a world in which our children have to choose between working for the local hospital or the local health insurer.
- BusinessWeek

How long until you can just buy pills based on the desired emotion? How long until their names sound like emotions or are emotions?

If taking care of health could cost 25% of the GDP then why aren't their tax breaks for joining a gym or health club?

And you got companies like Doritos pushing consumers to create Superbowl ads, junk food companies coming up with more and more subversive ad formats, - including advergames, while the government is pushing for studies on how media effects people. The truth is, it is all in the numbers. No study required.

Associated link love:
http://www.commercialexploitation.org/
http://www.allianceforchildhood.net/

Posted at September 16, 2006 1:54 AM
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