Healthcare be a focal point in economy for years to come

No matter what the outcome of the U.S. election, healthcare looks to be a focal point in the economy for years to come. The United States spent 17.9 percent of its gross domestic product on healthcare in 2010—more than double what other wealthy nations spend on a per-person basis. In one sign of the growing importance of healthcare to the economy, S&P Dow Jones Indices added health insurer UnitedHealthcare to the Dow Jones industrial average, replacing Kraft Foods. Yet healthcare is an industry in flux. That might make healthcare seem risky for investors, but the race to cut costs is creating profits in parts of the industry.