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How to Weigh In On the Healthcare Debate

Change, Social Entrepreneurs | | Tom Suddes

I’m an entrepreneur. (French word for fool.) I was entrepreneur way before it was cool or hot. I have an entrepreneur’s attitude and an entrepreneur’s perspective. (Creative Destroyers, Opportunity Exploiters, Value Creators, Pathfinder Rule Breakers.)

This is not about politics. It’s about the classic dilemma of actually DEFINING THE PROBLEM.

From what I’ve read, nowhere in the four, five, ten different ‘bills’, with over 2,000 pages, is there anything about PREVENTIVE MEDICINE!

According to Alan Deutschman’s provocative Fast Company cover story in May of 2005 (which he turned in full-length book called Change or Die) the healthcare industry consumes almost $2 TRILLION A YEAR in the U.S. alone (15% of our gross domestic product).

80% of this healthcare spending budget is consumed by five behavioral issues: too much smoking, drinking, eating and stress… and not enough exercise.

We know the CAUSE of these health problems. We even know the SOLUTIONS.

We’re going to be spending an additional $1 TRILLION on things like the “uninsured”, “the public option” “adjustments in Medicaid”, etc., etc., etc.

So forget your political affiliation. As social entrepreneurs, where do you see the OPPORTUNITY?

The real (ENTREPRENEURIAL) question should be about what would happen if we spent some portion of that money on PREVENTION???