In pushing for health care reform, President Barack Obama has said problems with the current health care system are a big cause of our economic troubles. He's even called the system, with its spiraling costs and inconsistencies in the amount and quality of care people get, a "ticking time bomb" for the federal budget.

Just how serious is the problem? How big a role does health care play in the nation's economy?

Here are some questions and answers about the economic impact of health care.

Q: How big a part of the economy is health care?

A: It accounts for about one-sixth of the entire economy -- more than any other industry.

Spending on health care totals about $2.5 trillion, 17.5 percent of our gross domestic product -- a measure of the value of all goods and services produced in the United States. That's up from 13.8 percent of GDP in 2000 and 5.2 percent in 1960, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health policy group.

Q: Why does Obama say the health care system must be fixed first to repair the economy, and is it true?

A: It's absolutely correct, for a host of reasons, experts say.

"Health care is the economy," and fixing it would free up money for other priorities, such as education and industrial innovation, said Meredith Rosenthal, a Harvard University professor of health economics and policy.

The health care system is dysfunctional and full of waste -- as much as 30 percent of all spending, she said. Unlike most other markets, consumers rarely know which doctors, drugs or treatments are best for them, don't price shop and, if they're insured, don't know the full cost of care. That all can lead to unnecessary spending.

Kaiser's president, Drew Altman, said health care costs have become pocketbook issues for businesses and both insured and uninsured Americans.

Q: How do health care costs drag on the economy?

A: Growth in overall health care costs, including spending on the huge Medicare and Medicaid programs, is out of control, said Robert Laszewski, president of consultants Health Policy and Strategy Associates. That limits how much money the federal government and businesses have to invest in solving the energy problem, developing products that can be sold to other countries, creating technology that can bring medical breakthroughs, building infrastructure and more.

Q: How do rising health costs affect workers and businesses?

A: Health insurance premiums have skyrocketed, making it ever-tougher for workers and employers to afford them. From 1999 through 2008, annual health insurance premiums jumped 119 percent, according to Kaiser data. The average family premium paid by workers rose from $1,543 to $3,354 a year, and employer payments per worker jumped from $4,247 to $9,325.

During that span, worker earnings rose only 34 percent and overall inflation was just 29 percent. So worker income has barely kept pace with inflation, more of the paycheck is going to health costs, and there's less left over for things like vacations, dining out, home improvements or a new car -- especially for low-wage workers and retirees. That represents a huge drag on the economic growth, considering that consumer spending powers about 70 percent of the economy.