How does healthcare affaect the economy today?

Answer 1

If a country has unified health care, as in Britain, Canada and France. The economy is much more stabilized from the costs of health care. People in the work force can get health care any time they require it. There is no concern about insurance coverage or added expenses for the house hold. People can get better and get back to work quicker without financial concerns holding up the healing process. This in turn feeds the economy, more people working, more people spending money, more people paying income tax and thus keeping the money flowing. Pay for use health care can clothes line a person with outrageous financial debt they sometimes cant recover from. This burdens the system and slows the flow of money. If a great deal of people were stricken by an illness in one area of say a city, that would cause those businesses harm because they would not be able to function correctly and in turn not bring in money. So a snow ball or cascade effect would occur as it works it's way down the chain. Those without health care would be out of the loop longer than those who have coverage, unified health care resolves that problem by allowing everyone to receive the care they need when they need it without causing a financial burden to the ill. Thus the economy only sees a small bump as apposed to a great ripple. That's how health care can affect an economy.

Answer 2

Go to this link and scroll down to the bottom. We have 59 Trillion in unfunded liabilities. How will that affect the economy. Take a guess.
http://usdebtclock.org/