Amoral markets, Immoral health care

Inequitable, inefficient

and unhealthy

Amoral markets

• Markets are amoral: they are indifferent to the moral obligations essential to the delivery of health care.

Life expectancy GDP and Markets

• Countries with the greatest increase in life expectancy in the last 30 years have seen it increase as a result of social policies introduced before the growth in markets or a rise in GDP

Life expectancy and GDP/cap 1975-2005

Source: WHO World Health Report 2008

US/UK healthcare costsMirror Mirror on the Wall: An international Update on the comparative Performance of American Health Care

The Commonwealth Fund May 15, 2007 Volume 59

2007 figures UK US

Per capita

expenditure on

health (USD)

2,992 7,290

Healthcare costs as

percent of GDP

8.4 15.8

% of government

revenue spent on

health

15.8 18.5

% of health costs

paid by government

81.7 45.4

% of citizens not

covered

0 15

Meet Stan

NOT the Amazon!

The evidence

A concise guide

Read this!

And this!

And this!

And especially this:

...which explains this:

And definitely read this!

But if you only read one book...

• About the way markets in healthcare exploit vulnerable people who are willing to pay absolutely anything to protect their health you absolutely must...

Read this!

The Cost Conundrum: Atul GawandeWhat a Texas town can teach us about health care

The Doctor’s Dilemma

"That any sane nation, having observed that you could provide for the supply of bread by giving bakers a pecuniary interest in baking for you, should go on to give a surgeon a pecuniary interest in cutting off your leg is enough to make one despair of political humanity."

In McAllen, the man with two legs is king

If you want to understand this:

You need to read this:

Enough theory...

Hoxton market Broadway market

Cafés

Hoxton market Broadway market

Cakes

Hoxton market Broadway market

Broadway market

Bare essentials

Hoxton market

Cakes again

Hoxton market Broadway market

Sweets

Hoxton market Broadway market

Bulk buys

Hoxton market Broadway market

Discerning shoppers

Hoxton market Broadway market

Lingerie

Hoxton market Broadway market

Tough choices

Hoxton market Broadway market

Fashion

Hoxton market Broadway market

Pets

Hoxton market Broadway market

Specials

Hoxton market Broadway market

Hoxton

Your future

It’s tough getting old

• dementia

• depression

• cancer

• heart disease

• diabetes

• arthritis

It’s tough getting old

• incontinence

• high blood pressure

• strokes

• chronic respiratory disease

• chronic kidney disease

It’s tough getting old

• over 42 prescriptions a year

• hospital admissions and fatal drug reactions

• more than 10 repeat medications

It’s tough getting old

• An elderly man goes in for his yearly health check with his wife tagging along.

• When the doctor enters the examination room he says, "I will need a urine sample, a stool sample, and a sperm sample."

• The man, being hard of hearing, turns to his wife and asks, "What did he say?" The wife yells back to him,

"GIVE HIM YOUR UNDERPANTS"

Your future, your health, your choice