As stated in Chapter 1 of the textbook, healthcare is a powerful force: “By any measure, healthcare could be considered a dominant institution in contemporary American society. Other institutions—such as politics, the military, and the arts—receive comparatively fewer resources” (p. 19). In your opinion, how does healthcare—as an institution— compare to the other institutions described in this quotation? Explain whether or not you agree that healthcare deserves more “resources” than the “other institutions” mentioned here.
Imagine you were in charge of the federal government. How much funding or government support would you allocate to healthcare compared to something like the federal defense funds? Why?
Do you think the healthcare industry should be held to different legal or ethical advertising standards than other industries? Explain, using at least one example or hypothetical situation to illustrate your response.
As members of a specific generation (boomers, Xers, millennials), how do you view your role as a consumer within the healthcare system? Give some background about how you have experienced the healthcare industry (marketing) from the consumer perspective.
Where do you see the future of the healthcare system moving in the next 10–20 years given the political environment, the exponential change of both marketing and health technologies (i.e., single-payer legislative proposals, communication technologies, as well as new surgical and treatment technologies)? Explain.
