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In February 2023, the World Economic Forum released statistics showing that "health care spending is significantly higher in the U.S. than anywhere else in the world." According to a survey by Gallup in December 2022, nearly 40 percent of American adults have experienced difficulties in paying healthcare bills and accessing affordable and quality medical services, and most of them consider medical expenses a source of daily stress.
Marvel, 28, has been suffering from Lyme disease since high school. The disease requires him to constantly keep tabs on his own health problems. Unable to afford expensive commercial insurance, he tried applying for subsidized health insurance, but was given misleading information by local health authorities. "I am basically without any tool to facilitate my own health," said Marvel.