It’s 1130 pm, and your daughter is burning up with fever and complaining about her throat. As a single mom with three kids, you can’t pack everyone up for an ER visit. And urgent care is over an hour away. Enter ChatRx, an AI-powered telemedicine system designed to diagnose strep throat in minutes, send a prescription to your 24-hour pharmacy, and your daughter could be feeling better by the morning.
After 30+ years in medicine, I’ve seen how our healthcare system often fails to make everyday care accessible. These situations inspired me to create ChatRx.
Almost 40% of Americans skip necessary medical care due to cost, time, or access issues. Behind this statistic are real people making tough choices between medical care and other priorities.
Here’s how real people will find a better way with AI-powered medical care options:
Busy Families: "We Can't Afford Sick Days"
James, father of two: “We have two super-active boys, 7 and 9, and one or the other keeps getting a minor ailment here or there. Each time that happens, my wife and I have to choose between missing work and waiting for hours to be see at an urgent care center or sending them to school and risking other kids getting infected. With a system like ChatRx, I should be able to run through a diagnosis in a few minutes and have prescription medications within an hour or two!”
For busy families, the challenge isn’t just cost—it’s fitting healthcare into packed schedules where they sometimes have to make a less-than-desirable choice.
Lisa, nurse and mother of three: “Between my hospital shifts and my husband’s travel schedule, getting to a doctor is next to impossible sometimes. With a system like ChatRx, I can see myself getting diagnosed during a lunch break! No appointments, no waiting rooms, no arranging childcare, no stress!!“
Tradtional Care Isn't Built for My Schedule
Mark works overnight at a manufacturing plant: “When you work 10 pm to 6 am traditional healthcare simply doesn’t work. I’d have to either lose sleep or miss work to see a doctor. I tend to get sinus infections like clockwork and a system like ChatRx will be of great help for fast diagnosis and treatment with the added benefit of having a prescription sent to my pharmacy for medication that I would be able to pick up on the way home!”
For the 20% of Americans working non-traditional hours, treatment often means losing income or sacrificing sleep. ChatRx provides care that fits any schedule.
The Nearest Clinic Is 45 Minutes Away
Sarah lives in rural Indiana: “The closest urgent care is a 45-minute drive, and our local doctor is booked three weeks out. I got a UTI and was trying to treat it with cranberry juice, even though I know that’s not enough. After a couple of days worrying it would spread to my kidneys, I ended up going to the local urgent care. After waiting for over three hours to be seen, I came back with medications and a $400 bill. A system like ChatRX would have saved me not only time, but a lot of money!”
For 60 million Americans in rural areas, distance creates a significant barrier to timely care. People often delay treatment until simple conditions become more serious.
I Thought I Couldn't Afford Medical Care!
Miguel, self-employed contractor: “I’ve paid over $200 at an urgent care before, so I was trying to push through my bronchitis but it wouldn’t get better. After a week of dealing with a worsening cough, my girlfriend convinced me to go to back to the urgent care. Not only did I pay almost $300 out of pocket, I also sat there for half the day before seeing a doctor. I can’t wait for a system like ChatRx to become available!“
With millions of Americans lacking insurance or facing high deductibles, affordable access prevents small health issues from becoming emergencies.
Would I Trust AI With My Health?
Robert, 68, retired engineer: “I’m old school—I like to see a doctor face-to-face. During one of my regular check-up with Dr. Stillson, he told me about ChatRx. I was very skeptical about AI and wasn’t sure if I would ever use it. During my next visit, I asked him for more details about AI in healthcare. He explained the concept to me and told me the questions ChatRx is designed to ask are what he, as my regular doctor, would ask—specific, relevant, and thorough. As Dr. Stillson continued to describe how the AI chatbot would work, I realized that this wasn’t a “generic” system, instead, it’s a highly customized virtual AI-doctor! I’ll continue to see Dr. Stillson for regular check-ups, but for simple infections, I believe ChatRx would be faster, easier, and cheaper!”
I Don't Have Time to Be Sick
Emma, 29, marketing executive: “I travel the country for work and every so often, I get a sore throat or bronchitis that I’m prone to. Getting sick away from home is no fun, in fact, it’s downright tedious because urgent care, or an ER, are usually the most viable options. I’ve heard about ChatRx and how it treats acute infections like strep throat and actually sends a prescription to my pharmacy of choice. I can’t wait for it to launch later this year. I’ve already signed up for their waitlist and I urge you to do the same!”
The average employed American loses nearly 5 workdays annually due to illness—many preventable with prompt treatment.
The Real Impact: Time and Money Saved
When we surveyed “traditional” medical care patients, here’s what we learned:
- Average time: 3.2 hours spent per visit and travel
- Average direct cost: $145 for urgent care and $300-$500 for ER visits
- Average indirect costs: $85 (travel, childcare, missed hours at work)
But the impact goes beyond numbers. As Lisa, one of my patients, put it when I told her about ChatRx: “It’s not just about saving time or money. It’s about not having to choose between my health and my responsibilities.”
Designed to Recognize Its Limitations
Jennifer: “As an early adopter and testing volunteer for ChatRx, I ran the system through its steps by simulating a simple sinus infection. However, based on my responses about the severity and duration of the symptoms I listed, ChaRx recommended that I see a doctor in person within 24 hours. What I presented as a simple sinus infection was flagged as a more complex condition that required urgent care. I appreciate that the system is build to recognize when something needs a human touch.“
A Way to Access Acute Infection Care
These stories reflect a fundamental truth: traditional healthcare works well for complex conditions but creates unnecessary barriers for routine care.
AI-powered healthcare isn’t about replacing doctors—it’s about extending medical expertise to more people, more efficiently.
As Maria told me, “For the first time, I feel like this medical care system is designed to work for me, not the other way around.“
That’s exactly what I hope to achieve with ChatRx. Technology now allows us to provide timely, accurate care to everyone, regardless of schedule, location, or financial situation.
Want to experience healthcare that works on your terms? Visit ChatRx.md to join our waitlist to be among the first to access affordable, convenient care when we launch in Spring 2025.
Your health shouldn’t wait for business hours, and neither should your care.
