June 30th, 2007
Google monetizing negative press around healthcare?
Today, Dan Farber wrote an excellent article about his take regarding Google’s attempt to capitalize on the opportunity to limit or dampen the negative press caused by “Sicko”, Michael Moore’s newest documentary.
It’s interesting to me that Google wants to align itself on the “evil” side of this issue, be it real or perceived — considering their “do no evil” mantra. I am sure the American healthcare system has worked for many people and saved many lives, but even the few examples Moore gives where the system failed is too many in my books.
I can’t fairly comment on the overall fairness or effectiveness of the American healthcare system, but I know first hand that what this film describes, as far as the Canadian system goes, is absolutely true. Two weeks ago I woke up with no feeling on the right side of my body — within 2 days I had a CT scan, MRI, a consultation with a neurosurgeon and neurologist, a spinal tap and a prescription for some fancy new drugs. Cost, $2 for my pills.
If Google was going to lobby for something, or try and change the healthcare system in any way, they should be aligning themselves with the other side of the issue rather than trying to profit from the negative press around it. I would like to ask the same question as Dan: “I wonder what Eric Schmidt, Larry Page and Sergey Brin think about the U.S. healthcare system, Michael Moore’s film and actively helping the healthcare industry beat back negative press?”
Garett Rogers is employed as a programmer for iQmetrix, which specializes in retail management software for the wireless industry.
See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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