As will be shown in Lesson 2, many parties are involved in designing health systems, researching and distributing medical products and drugs, and financing and delivering care. Because relationships between these actors are often opaque, accountability can be difficult. Among other challenges, those who receive services do not always pay for their own care, as insurance companies often bear the financing responsibility (EC 2013).
Individuals have varying needs, which means that drugs, treatment plans and equipment should also vary. However, the increasing involvement of powerful multinational players from the private sector with large sums of money has complicated the ability to provide individualized care.
