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API Keys & Cost Guide

This document explains how API keys work in CareNet and what costs you can expect.

🔑 How API Keys Work

Architecture Overview

End Users → Your App (Frontend) → Your Backend → Third-party APIs
                                   ↑
                               (Your API Keys)

Important:

  • You (the app owner) provide API keys as environment variables
  • End users never see or need API keys
  • You pay for API usage based on your users' activity

This is the standard model for production apps - you pay to run the service, your users use it for free.

📊 Features & API Requirements

Feature API Required Fallback Behavior Cost Impact
Hospital Search ❌ None Always works (JSON data) Free
Interactive Map ❌ None Always works (Leaflet) Free
Insurance Card Scan Dedalus API Demo mode with sample data ~$0.01 per scan
Voice Triage Dedalus API Demo mode with keyword matching ~$0.01 per triage
AI Booking Agent ElevenLabs Feature disabled, direct call option shown ~$0.10-0.30 per call
Payments Flowglad N/A Transaction fees

💰 Cost Breakdown

Option 1: Core Features Only (Free)

No API keys needed. Users can:

  • ✅ Search hospitals by location
  • ✅ Filter by facility type
  • ✅ View cost estimates
  • ✅ Get directions
  • ✅ Call hospitals directly

Monthly cost: $0

Option 2: With AI Features (Recommended)

Dedalus API (Required for card scanning & voice triage)

  • Cost: ~$0.01 per API call
  • Monthly estimate for 1,000 users:
    • Card scans: 1,000 × $0.01 = $10
    • Voice triage: 1,000 × $0.01 = $10
    • Total: ~$20/month

Setup:

  1. Sign up at dedaluslabs.ai
  2. Get API key
  3. Add to Vercel: DEDALUS_API_KEY=your-key

Option 3: Full Feature Set

Add ElevenLabs for AI booking:

ElevenLabs API (Optional - for AI booking agent)

  • Cost: ~$0.10-0.30 per call
  • Monthly estimate for 1,000 users:
    • Assuming 30% use booking: 300 × $0.20 = $60
    • Total: ~$60/month

Setup:

  1. Sign up at elevenlabs.io
  2. Create a Conversational AI agent
  3. Get credentials
  4. Add to Vercel: 
    ELEVENLABS_API_KEY=your-key
ELEVENLABS_AGENT_ID=your-agent-id
ELEVENLABS_AGENT_PHONE_NUMBER_ID=your-phone-id

Combined total with all features: ~$80/month for 1,000 active users

🎯 Recommended Setup for Different Use Cases

Personal Project / Portfolio

# No API keys needed
# Use demo mode for AI features

Cost: $0/month

Small Community / Beta (< 100 users)

DEDALUS_API_KEY=your-key
# Skip ElevenLabs, users call directly

Cost: ~$2/month

Production Launch (< 1,000 users)

DEDALUS_API_KEY=your-key
ELEVENLABS_API_KEY=your-key
ELEVENLABS_AGENT_ID=your-agent-id
ELEVENLABS_AGENT_PHONE_NUMBER_ID=your-phone-id

Cost: ~$80/month

🚀 Getting Started (Step by Step)

1. Deploy Without API Keys First

# Deploy to Vercel with no API keys
vercel

# Your app works with:
# - Hospital search ✅
# - Map view ✅
# - Demo card scanning ✅
# - Demo voice triage ✅
# - Direct calling ✅

2. Add Dedalus When Ready

When you're ready for real AI features:

  1. Go to dedaluslabs.ai and sign up
  2. Get your API key
  3. In Vercel Dashboard → Settings → Environment Variables
  4. Add: DEDALUS_API_KEY=your-actual-key
  5. Redeploy

Now card scanning and voice triage use real AI!

3. Add ElevenLabs When Scaling

When you want AI booking:

  1. Go to elevenlabs.io and sign up
  2. Create a Conversational AI agent
  3. Configure it for medical appointment scheduling
  4. Get your credentials
  5. Add to Vercel environment variables
  6. Redeploy

💡 Cost Optimization Tips

  1. Start with demo mode - Test your app without API costs
  2. Add Dedalus first - Core AI features, low cost
  3. Add ElevenLabs later - When you have real users who want booking
  4. Monitor usage - Most APIs have dashboards showing usage/costs
  5. Set spending limits - Both Dedalus and ElevenLabs allow budget caps
  6. Cache results - Consider caching common queries to reduce API calls

🔒 Security Best Practices

✅ DO:

  • Store API keys in Vercel environment variables
  • Use .env.local for local development (never commit this)
  • Rotate keys if exposed
  • Monitor API usage for unusual patterns

❌ DON'T:

  • Hardcode API keys in code
  • Commit API keys to Git
  • Share API keys publicly
  • Let users provide their own API keys (bad UX)

❓ FAQ

Q: Do my users need API keys? A: No! You provide the keys, they use the app for free.

Q: What if I don't add any API keys? A: The app still works! Card scanning and triage use demo mode, and users can call hospitals directly.

Q: How do I monitor costs? A: Check your Dedalus and ElevenLabs dashboards for usage stats.

Q: Can I set a spending limit? A: Yes, both Dedalus and ElevenLabs allow you to set monthly budget caps.

Q: What happens if I hit my limit? A: The app gracefully falls back to demo mode for AI features.

📞 Support

  • Dedalus API: Check their documentation at dedaluslabs.ai
  • ElevenLabs API: Visit elevenlabs.io/docs
  • CareNet Issues: Open an issue on GitHub

Summary: Start free with demo mode, add Dedalus ($20/mo for AI), add ElevenLabs ($60/mo for booking) when you scale.