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
Comments
Post a comment












Search


Archives
August 2016
September 2009
April 2009
November 2008
June 2008
May 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
April 2004
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
December 2003
November 2003
October 2003
Recent Entries
What Can You Change?
Radiohead's Harry Patch (In Memory of ) Lyrics
Army Men: Soldiers of Misfortune Sabotage the Water Tower
Black & White Card Dealer
Fishing With Cookies!!!
Big Rapper at a Jewelry Shop
Which Bowling Ball Are You?
Materialism is Hot
The New York Times Further Undermines My Trust in the Media
The Jury
Categories
Aaron (269)
art (1)
brain (17)
business (43)
communication (2)
economics (28)
Food & Drugs (83)
friends (6)
funny (11)
humanity (12)
Internet (60)
Literature (15)
Marketing (115)
Mikey (3)
Military (30)
movies (3)
Music (12)
my logos (7)
Peanut Butter (5)
poems (102)
Politics (206)
poor form (10)
video games (1)
Movies Worth Watching
The Corporation
Cosmos
Manufacturing Consent
McDonalds Movie
Meeting People is Easy
The Money Masters
Tom Delay Movie
Wal Mart Movie

Friends
Brad Talmir
Gift Cardster
HIV Blog
John Scott
JOHO
Lawrence Lessig
Steven Berlin Johnson
Seth Godin's Blog
Smart Mobs
Talking Points Memo
The Memory Hole
This Modern World
Webkinz World
Werty

Help Fight Wars
Support Our Troops

Syndicate this site (XML) © 2003 - 2013
Creative Commons License
This weblog is licensed under a Creative Commons License.