This article presents the results of an investigation into the extent of internationalization among large corporations engaged in significant health-related activities. Companies included in Fortune magazine's ‘G500’ list of the world's 500 largest corporations (by sales) were analyzed for health-related activities. Those with significant health-related activities were allocated to categories within a typology of health-related businesses. This typology is composed of five key categories: providers of services to the end consumer; producers of goods; suppliers of services to state or private providers; insurance and managed care companies; and firms involved in the construction, maintenance or ownership of premises. Direct providers of health services were the least internationalized category of health-related business, whilst producers of goods and suppliers of services were the most internationalized. The article discusses the reasons why this is the case, and concludes that internationalization among direct providers of health services is likely to increase over time.
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