Why Health Care Now?

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.