"Love or hate Obamacare, it boosts spending and the US economy"

[applegrove]

Love or hate Obamacare, it boosts spending and the US economy

by Jana Kasperkevic at the Guardian

http://www.theguardian.com/money/us-money-blog/2014/apr/30/obama-healthcare-boost-us-economy-spending

"SNIP........................



Over the past few months, Americans have been spending more on doctors and hospital care. In fact, they have been spending so much that the healthcare spending is currently responsible for a boost in the growth of the entire US economy.


GDP, the measure of the economy's growth, was disappointing last month, and many economists blamed it on the weather.


But there was one bright spot: people are paying for healthcare, and a lot of it. Republicans may hate hearing this, but it has to be said: you can thank Obamacare.

"Obamacare is boosting consumption," says Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics.



.........................SNIP"

[Thinkingabout]

1. If one would really think about health care, it would seem companies would be pushing for their

employees to seek health care and take care of their bodies to cut down on absences which in turn could hurt their bottom line. A healthier employee could bring healthier earnings.

[applegrove]

2. Corporations have moved to Canada from the US and said that exact thing. Health care

is good. People are healthy and happy. Corporations don't have to be involved.

[Thinkingabout]

3. They could assist their employees in obtaining health insurance, they will be rewarded.

[unblock]

4. not only that, but they wouldn't have to pay for it (at least not explicitly)

if health benefits are provided for all through medicare, then employers wouldn't have to go through the hassle of reviewing and buying group policies for their employees, along with all the attendant commercial and operational issues.

then they could focus on their "core competencies"


i think the main reason they don't like this is that although medicare for all would be a huge win for corporations, the fear is that it might cost management and their shareholders as individuals (e.g., due to a surtax on higher incomes to pay for it all).

there are also anti-competitive reasons -- smaller companies/start-ups can have a tough time competing with big company benefits. they would be on less unequal footing with medicare-for-all.