Julian Howland
Affordability
of Healthcare
Illustrator (2024)
A pair of informational posters about the affordability of healthcare. Focusing on why it works in some countries, and fails in others.
The Swedish healthcare system works so successfully in price and quality because the system is based on equity, need, solidarity, and cost effectiveness. The system is run in a democratic way and is largely publicly financed. Swedish health and medical care is paid through taxes, and the fees paid by patients are very low. They also put a lot of effort into the health and wellness of the public, such as national screening programs to catch cancer at early stages or giving prescriptions for physical exercise.
There is a very strong partnership between authorities, care providers, schools, and the industry to be constantly promoting and developing new products. The entire healthcare system in Sweden is perfectly organized and efficient, and they are constantly evolving the system to keep up with modern technology.
(Symbiocare | Health by Sweden)
(World Population Review 2022)
(US News 2024)
The USA's healthcare is failing in price and quality because of how the system is market driven. Healthcare in the US is a competitive scene with multiple complex private companies that are just trying to make the most money. American hospitals are largely profit-focused, imparting severe prices on basic healthcare needs. Many systems in the US are based on protecting. themselves from lawsuits, and the healthcare is no different. Hospitals practice defensive medical processes to avoid lawsuits, such as taking scans "just in case."
The American drug market is entirely unregulated for prices, causing massive price gouging for simple medicine people need to live. Prices are negotiated by private insurers as opposed to the government, which means that varying healthcare prices allow providers to charge the market at that time.
(Investopedia 2024)
(Riaz Jamal 2024)
