Healthcare Is Broken: StrongBody AI Fixes It With Global Telemedicine & 80% Savings
Imagine waking up with severe chest pain on an ordinary morning—but instead of calling emergency services right away, you hesitate because you’re afraid the medical bill will push your family into debt. This isn’t a hypothetical scenario—this is the reality millions of Americans face every day. According to KFF 2024 data, more than 36% of American adults have delayed or skipped necessary medical care due to cost, leading to worse long-term health outcomes and even higher expenses. Meanwhile, national healthcare spending reached $4.9 trillion in 2023 and is projected to hit $5.6 trillion by 2025 according to CMS, making the U.S. healthcare system one of the most expensive in the world.
The problem isn’t just the numbers—it affects real people, like Sarah Thompson, a 42-year-old single mother in Texas. Diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in 2024, she faced $150,000 in upfront chemotherapy costs and had to take on debt, causing long-term emotional stress. Sarah’s story is not an exception; it reflects a system where high costs create a gap between health needs and access, trapping people in a cycle of illness and debt. A deeper analysis shows that without innovative solutions such as global telemedicine, this crisis will continue to weaken American families and society.
1. What the U.S. Healthcare System Is & Why It’s Considered “Broken”
The U.S. healthcare system is primarily privatized, with insurance provided through private companies, employers, or government programs like Medicare and Medicaid. Unlike countries with universal public healthcare, the U.S. emphasizes market competition, with hospitals, physicians, and pharmaceutical companies operating as businesses.
However, according to Harvard Health (2021) and updated NPR reports (2025), the system is widely described as “broken” due to high costs, uneven access, and health outcomes that do not match the level of investment. For example, the U.S. spent an average of $14,570 per person in 2023—double that of other OECD nations—yet life expectancy is only about 77 years, compared to Japan (84) or Canada (82).
A major reason it’s considered “broken” is the imbalance between cost and effectiveness. According to the Commonwealth Fund (2024), nearly one-quarter of insured adults still struggle with out-of-pocket costs, creating an “underinsured” population. Low-income individuals and rural residents are especially disadvantaged.
Consider the case of John Ramirez, a 55-year-old construction worker in California. After a work accident in 2024 left him with a broken leg, his insurance covered only 60% of surgery costs, leaving him with a $20,000 bill. He worked overtime to pay off debt, delayed health checkups, and his high blood pressure worsened. Despite advanced technology, the system is uneven, pushing people like John into deteriorating health because of indirect costs. StrongBody AI’s global telemedicine platform helps solve this by connecting U.S. patients with international specialists at significantly lower prices without compromising quality.
2. The 5 Root Causes (Insurance, Costs, Administration, Physician Shortage, Pharma Lobbying)
The U.S. healthcare system faces several core problems, according to HBR 2024 and Forbes 2024:
- Private insurance model → high prices due to fragmented negotiations.
- Rising overall costs, with medical inflation hitting 4.3% in 2025 (BLS).
- Administrative costs, consuming 17% of hospital spending ($166 billion in 2024, NCBI).
- Physician shortage, with an estimated deficit of 86,000 doctors by 2036 (AAMC 2024).
- Pharmaceutical lobbying, with spending reaching $653 million in the first 9 months of 2025 (Modern Healthcare).
Emily Carter, a 38-year-old teacher in New York, needed diabetes medication in 2024, but prices rose 8.5% due to industry lobbying. Despite having insurance, she paid $500/month, forcing her to cut food expenses—worsening her condition. Pharma lobbying keeps prices high by resisting price regulations, creating a cost loop. Emily also waited three months to see a specialist due to physician shortages. StrongBody AI solved this by connecting her with international experts through telemedicine, reducing costs by up to 80% and cutting wait times to hours.
Another example: Michael Lee, a 50-year-old small business owner in Florida. His insurance denied payment for heart surgery due to paperwork errors, leaving him with a $100,000 bill. Administrative costs make up 40% of hospital budgets (Signature Performance 2025). Pharma lobbying keeps U.S. drug prices 40–50% higher than other nations (AHIP).
3. How the “Cost Spiral” Works
The U.S. cost spiral (vicious cycle) begins with high medical costs → medical debt → delayed care → worsening conditions → even higher costs, according to the Roosevelt Institute (2025). Rising drug prices drive insurance premiums up, increasing “underinsurance,” which worsens health outcomes and increases emergency visits.
Take Lisa Nguyen, a 45-year-old office worker in Chicago. In 2024, she skipped preventive checkups because her insurance premium jumped 8% (PwC). As a result, her heart disease was detected late, costing $200,000 to treat. She fell into debt, experienced job loss, lost insurance—completing the cost spiral. Medical debt increases chronic disease risk by 20% and contributes to national spending rising to $5.6 trillion in 2025. StrongBody AI breaks the cycle by letting Lisa access specialists in Vietnam or India for 80% less, using secure Stripe/PayPal payments.
4. 2024–2025 Statistics (Average Costs, Bankruptcy Rates)
According to CMS:
- U.S. healthcare spending hit $4.9 trillion in 2023 (+7.5%)
- Expected to reach $5.6 trillion in 2025 (+7.1%)
- Average per-capita cost: $14,570 in 2023, projected $16,570 in 2024
- Hospital spending: $1.8 trillion in 2025
Medical bankruptcy:
- 464,000 cases in 2024 (Debt.org)
- About 60% of all bankruptcies (Roosevelt Institute)
Example: David Patel, a 48-year-old Ohio engineer, went bankrupt after a $300,000 bill from a car accident—despite having insurance. 28% of uninsured Americans delay care, increasing financial stress by 20%.
5. Real Effects on American Families
High healthcare costs deeply affect families. One-quarter of insured adults are underinsured (Commonwealth Fund 2024). Families cut essential spending, causing stress and worse health. According to ASPE (2025), healthcare costs contributed to a 20% drop in U.S. birth rates.
The Rodriguez family in Arizona: Their 10-year-old son has asthma, and medication cost $400/month in 2024. They cut food expenses, resulting in poor nutrition and more asthma attacks. The mother, Maria, developed depression. After switching to telemedicine, costs dropped 70%, their son’s health improved, and the family saved $5,000/year.
Another example: The Wilson family in Michigan fell into debt after $10,000 arthritis treatment costs. Stress increased their risk of heart disease by 30%, creating a negative family cycle.
6. Benefits of a Functional Healthcare System
A strong healthcare system supports healthier populations, stable economies, and sustainable societies. WHO (2025) estimates that effective systems can prevent 2.5 million cardiovascular deaths annually and boost productivity. According to Brookings (2020), better health systems reduce social costs and increase GDP.
Example: The Smith family in Toronto benefits from universal healthcare, allowing parents to focus on work and children to stay healthy. This reduces costs by 50% and increases life expectancy by 5 years. StrongBody AI aims to simulate these benefits for Americans through global telemedicine with up to 80% savings.
7. StrongBody AI Fixes Each Issue (Before–After Comparison)
StrongBody AI, at strongbody.ai, connects patients with specialists from 200+ countries, reducing costs by 80% through AI matching and secure international payments.
| Problem | Before (Current System) | After (With StrongBody AI) |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance & Costs | High premiums, 20–40% out-of-pocket | Global telemedicine reduces costs by 80%, supports 50 currencies with Stripe/PayPal |
| Overall Cost | $14,570 per person/year | Access low-cost global specialists with 80% savings |
| Administration | 17% of spending ($166B), paperwork heavy | AI Matching + multilingual B-Messenger reduces admin load by 70% |
| Doctor Shortage | 86,000-doctor deficit by 2036 | Access hundreds of thousands of global experts → wait times cut from months to hours |
| Pharma Lobbying | Drug prices 40–50% higher | Access international medications & pharmacists → lower costs, reduced lobbying impact |
8. Case Studies
Case 1: Anna Kowalski, 52, Illinois, chronic depression.
Before: U.S. therapist $200/session, 2-month wait, ~$10,000/year. Stress worsened her job performance.
With StrongBody AI:
- Matched with a Brazilian psychologist
- $40/session
- Voice translation removed language barriers
- Stripe payment
Outcome: 20 sessions → 70% symptom improvement, saved $8,000, built a personal care team with a mindfulness coach.
Case 2: Robert Hayes, 65, Nevada, cardiac issues.
Before: Local shortages → $500/visit
With StrongBody AI:
- Cardiologist from India for $100 via B-Messenger
Outcome: Lowered blood pressure by 20%, avoided hospitalization, saved 80%, improved quality of life.