Just over one hundred days ago, Congress and President Obama approved an unprecedented investment of nearly 800 billion dollars in the U.S. economy. The spending is beginning to reach targeted projects and programs and to bolster job creation. It is now time to address another drag on job creation in America.
As an American who has lived part of his life on public assistance and among the ranks of the uninsured, I am worried about what failing to fix our broken health care system says about our nation's moral character. But as the CEO of Kelly Services, I am increasingly concerned about what failing to fix our health care system means for our nation's economy and its ability to compete globally.
Even in a good year, Kelly's U.S. health care costs are more than its domestic profits. Kelly operates in 39 countries. The United States is the only country where this statistic is true. Further, the cost of health care in the U.S. is rising dramatically faster than our ability to raise prices or adjust wages.
Every year companies make strategic decisions about where to invest and grow jobs. The cost of health care plays a large role in these choices. Increasingly, it makes less sense to grow jobs in America because of the cost of U.S. health care. Hundreds of my colleagues are reaching the same conclusion. How can we get our economy moving again if our nation's corporations are forced to invest in job growth elsewhere?
Health care's impact on job growth extends further. Kelly Services represents the free agent workforce -- self-employed professionals, temporary employees, and independent contractors. Many people have chosen this employment route because it is the only way that they can balance work life with personal responsibilities like elder and child care. Others value independence and dream of starting their own business, creating something new, and becoming an American entrepreneur.
These individuals represent nearly 30 percent of the U.S. workforce and are frequently uninsured because they lack access to affordable employer-provided coverage. No one should be forced to make the choice between health insurance and starting a new business. No one should have to stay in a job where they are unhappy and unproductive because they are afraid of being able to secure health insurance on their own.
The percentage of Americans voluntarily engaging in entrepreneurial start ups is falling. At the same time, many other countries are catching up or exceeding the U.S. Our economy cannot thrive if thousands of people are electing not to start a new business because of health care.
Health care is the issue that jeopardizes worker productivity and creativity, key sources of the U.S. economy's global competitiveness. Today, too many employment decisions are motivated by health care access rather than where our citizens can make innovative and productive contributions to society.
Business leaders must take a proactive role in the health care reform debate. In this spirit, I am a member of Better Health Care Together, a coalition of business, labor, and public policy groups who believe that health care reform is among the most pressing moral and economic imperatives facing our nation. Through groups like Better Health Care Together, we must share what we know about the role our health care system plays in corporate decision-making so that policymakers can make informed decisions.
Our nation's economy faces many immediate threats. It also faces many long-term challenges that must also be addressed before we can truly rebound from these economic crises. If you are worried about job growth and competitiveness, you should be working to fix our health care system. Health care reform is a challenge that must be met.
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Wise up and rise up. This is our country. Take to the streets and take it back!
The advantage of single-pay
This is the Democrats' sham reform: game the system so that the public sector founders, thus discrediti
How many people do you know who LIKE their private insurance?
I'm healthy and I'd buy into the public plan. I know many others like me. We need a public option IMMEDIATEL
The ONLY reason this plan is being floated is as a sop to the public while enforcing essentiall
If you don't fight uncompromi
We could insure all hourly wage earners and salaried employees earning $110.000 annually or less and let all the others stick to their insurance without getting into the public system when the going gets tough. And the public system should not be allowed to lower service just to keep the privates competitiv
So I do have the same fear Van has, the private sector with the help of senators like Nelson would co-opt the national health care system. They would make offers of doing better in future and when the danger has passed they will be back to the same old tricks. We now can see deceptive advertisin
Only single-pay
Please read carefully before you attack.
Carl. Would you be so kind as too post your sales pitch to new companies seeking your services?
I find it hard to understand your point, seeing that the very product you provide to clients is cost savings via "no health insurance" "low wages" "no unemployme
Temporary labor should be a small market in a successful economy, not the goal. I find it disturbing that you tout healthcare
The main street media seems to be brain dead on this fact. Japan, Korea, Europe, all have National Health care.
In the US, everything is subordinat
It is like North Korea or Cuba, where everything is subordinat
In the U.S. and North Korea, it does not seem to matter how much everyone suffers, or how inefficien
2012 : New Political Parties !!!!!
Thank you for putting the situation in economic terms. We are the only country where health care for workers is dependent on employers. It is not fair to the workers, and it is not fair to the employers. It's a form of ... bondage. Are you and your group for Single Payer health care? I was not able to open the business site you referenced
And we don't have the votes to pass it.
This does not look good folks.
The only obstacle to single payer is the tens of millions of dollars in campaign contributi
"Why aren't single payer advocates allowed to testify before Baucus' committee? Follow the money. Here's why Baucus is not doing the people's business:
"According to OpenSecret
* The Insurance Industry: $1,170,313
* Health Profession
* Pharmaceut
* Hospitals/
* Health Services/H
Baucus has shown his bias and should be removed from leading the health care reform effort by the Democratic Party leadership
That is a grand total of $3,902,785
You are simply parroting rationaliz
I am not voting for Obama again. DEMS = GOP = servants of Big Money Interest Groups.
2012 : new political parties !!!!!! this is the only way we are going to get the healthcare we deserve, as human beings, and need, to be competitiv
Good post Mr. Camden, and best wishes with your iniciative
I 100% agree on the need for new parties though.
He took out TV ads opposing "socialize
Basically saying that even if the congress passed it, he would veto it
ONLY single payer is real reform, and you're going to have to force Obama, Baucus, and Pelosi to support it. They'll fight it tooth and nail because they're all owned by the HMOs and Big Pharma.