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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Dana Mayer moved back to the US after living in the UK for 25 years.</li><li>She used to get frustrated by the British tendency to accept mediocrity.</li></ul>I wasn't prepared for how much the US had changed when I moved back. I'd been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/things-american-misses-after-moving-back-from-uk-2022-11">living in the UK</a> for 25 years, but when the <keyword id="19913581" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pandemic" source="keywords">pandemic</keyword> kicked off in March 2020, I decided it was time to go home. It wasn't until returning that I realized how British I'd become and that "home" was more difficult to define. Now, after having lived almost half my life in each country, I feel equally in love with both, although for very different reasons. I struggled with the lack of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/social-life-differences-living-in-uk-compared-to-us">personal space in the UK</a> — some of that stems from the UK's population density being almost eight times that of the US per square mile, per <a target="_blank" href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EN.POP.DNST">World Bank Open Data</a>. This translated into <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/london-dumpster-tiny-home-how-i-use-space-photos-2023-4">tiny homes</a> with common walls even in the countryside and jostling for sidewalk space in the cities. It also seemed to result in a populace adverse to talking to or making eye contact with strangers in order to protect their perceived sanity. <h2>Size and space struck me when I returned to the US</h2>Fresh out of COVID quarantine, I was visiting a friend in a New York City suburb, looking around their giant kitchen with its oversized fridge. I didn't even have to go outside to their huge lawn or the wooded roads surrounding the property to feel my energy expand into what was simply more space per person. This is also when I spotted an enormous orange pepper on the kitchen counter that looked like a mutant interloper. Was this actually food? Was it a pepper crossed with some kind of alien Godzilla? It was so big that I took a picture. I spent the rest of the day laughing at its size. In keeping with the <keyword id="20075613" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="American" source="keywords">American</keyword> freewheeling mentality, expansive personal space, and a business mindset that allows for growth and experimentation, the pepper, as well as other fruits, vegetables, and even portions, in the US are typically bigger. In the UK, the small peppers fit into small houses, and the food was closer to its natural form. Their relatively closed mindset of "we've always done it this way" actually kept their food closer to the source. However, we'll see how big their peppers get in the years ahead. The pandemic gave me time to reflect on a lot of things <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/things-brit-in-new-york-city-misses-about-england-manchester-2024-1">I missed about the UK</a> — the <keyword id="20050314" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Health-Service" source="keywords">National Health Service</keyword>, the intelligent level of public discourse, and the newscasters without plastic hair. There was also the quiet dignity of the seemingly closed people who would keep you out of their inner circle until, finally, they let you in in a grounded, loyal way. In contrast, folks in the US often unravel their whole life story to me while standing in the Target checkout line. <h2>But I never quite fit in while living in the UK</h2>In the UK, I always felt like an outsider in some ways, especially when doing things like playing Trivial Pursuit. No matter how long I lived there, I never got most of the cultural references, because it's not where I'd grown up. I'm glad now that in the US I don't have to explain to anyone of my generation what <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-kind-of-candy-corn-to-buy-reviewed-photos-2021-10">candy corn</a> is or who <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvAtG3T2NDY">Magilla Gorilla</a>, a 1960s cartoon, is. Still, I'm torn between the American expectation of excellence which can be over-the-top and relentless, and the British tendency to accept mediocrity, brush problems under the carpet, and sometimes have a more peaceful life as a result. When <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-gen-zer-moved-to-london-wouldnt-recommend-to-everyone-2024-5">I first came to the UK</a>, I waited tables at a tourist-trap restaurant where the food was overpriced and microwaved rubbish. When I went to the table and asked about the meal, almost every British customer replied, "It was lovely," in a shy, sheepish way. Years later, my British ex-boyfriend, who held a high-level management position and told people what to do all day at work, used to get embarrassed when I asked restaurant staff to please wipe the table because it was dirty. As an American I'd grown up feeling entitled to a clean table when paying for service in a restaurant. Now, I cringe when I see Americans in restaurants demanding a free meal because their drinks arrive five minutes late. Four years after <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mistakes-moving-to-america-from-uk-2023-11">moving back to the US</a>, I'm grateful for the personal space, the "yes!" mentality, and the abundance of nature. But I do miss the cultivated hedgerows of the UK and the quiet, more reserved style of its people. And no matter how much affinity I felt with the land there, there is also some knowing and grounding with the land here, which feels like it cannot be replicated anywhere else. Perhaps because this is where I was originally rooted. July 4, 2024 — This story has been updated to remove mention of peppers in the US being massive due to the genetic engineering of crops. Got a <keyword id="22368221" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="personal-essay" source="keywords">personal essay</keyword> about <keyword id="21389910" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="relocating" source="keywords">relocating</keyword> that you want to share? Get in touch with the editor: <a target="_blank" href="mailto:akarplus@businessinsider.com">akarplus@businessinsider.com</a>.

I moved back to the US after 25 years in the UK. People abroad were more polite than Americans, but I never quite fit in there.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Australia's putting an age limit on social media this year.</li><li>"I want them off their devices," said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.</li></ul>The Australian government wants kids off their screens and into the great outdoors.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government is planning new age limits for social media to protect young people's mental and physical health, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/australia-plans-social-media-ban-children-2024-09-09/">Reuters reports</a>.An exact age minimum hasn't been finalized, but Albanese floated a range of 14 to 16. The government is exploring how to enforce the new law, he <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-10/anthony-albanese-on-social-media-age-limit-proposal/104330904">told</a> the Australian Broadcasting Corporation."This one is for the mums and dads," <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/AlboMP/status/1833272514723909659">Albanese said in a video on X</a>. "I want kids to have a childhood. I want them off their devices and onto the footy field and onto the netball courts. I want them to have real experiences with real people."Reps for Meta, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, and X did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.While most social media platforms bar children under 13, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ron-desantis-bill-barring-kids-under-14-tiktok-snapchat-instagram-2024-3">signed a bill</a> in March preventing kids under 14 from having social media.But opponents of the proposed Australian law say it may not stop kids from using the internet but instead drive them to less safe parts of the web.Australia's eSafety Commissioner, a government agency dedicated to online safety, warned in June that "restriction-based approaches may limit young people's access to critical support," according to Reuters, and encourage them to seek out "less regulated non-mainstream services.""We know online harms can threaten safety across a range of platforms at any age, both before and after the mid-teen years," the eSafety Commissioner <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.esafety.gov.au/newsroom/media-releases/esafety-statement-national-age-restrictions-for-digital-platforms">said Monday in a press release</a>. "We need to continue preparing our young people for the technology trends and digital environment of the future."

Australia has a plan to combat the iPad kid: set a national age limit for social media 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>I was a native New Yorker and thrived on the city's energy.</li><li>When I moved to London with my husband just almost two years ago it was a major culture shock.</li></ul>Growing up in the vibrant borough of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/queens-global-food-tour-new-york-most-diverse-borough-2023-11">Queens</a>, the relentless rhythm of the 7 train, the aromas of Indian cuisine, and the crowds at the MET stadium in Flushing were my normal.I thrived on the city's boundless energy. But in February 2023, I <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biggest-surprises-moving-to-london-according-to-american-2024-10">moved to London</a> with my British husband to start a new chapter.His career required him to return to his homeland, and I was excited to live abroad in a city I had long romanticized after watching movies like "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/living-in-notting-hill-london-reality-compared-to-expectation-photos-2022-6">Notting Hill</a>" and "The Holiday."Leaving behind the fast-paced lifestyle in New York has been exhilarating, but the transition was a challenge.<h2 id="2afd2595-3c66-4ae8-a427-3f0eb50c094a">The job hunt was a culture shock for me</h2>As a New York-qualified attorney, I was used to a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/shocker-wall-streeters-are-juicing-to-be-better-at-their-jobs-2012-2">competitive job hunt</a> involving dozens of applications, multiple interviews, and aggressive salary negotiations.In London, the process is <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moved-uk-nigeria-job-market-competitive-rejections-2024-7">more formal and patient</a>.<div type="image" title="Pooja Shah in red dress with husband against a snowy background" height="500" width="666" msid="115301511" hostid="261" sizebytes="21494"></div>I had to get used to sitting tight and waiting to hear back, sometimes for weeks, instead of following up or receiving a response within days.I also had to complete many more tests and assignments during my London-based job search compared to interviews back home.<h2 id="8e58ec17-e87f-4869-a41d-212ee60d8468">The job termination policies here aren't my cup of tea</h2>In New York, I was an at-will employee, meaning my employer could <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-laid-off-rehired-quit-no-longer-respect-culture-changed-2024-11">terminate me at their discretion</a>. Or, I could leave with a two-week notice period.This meant that, in my profession, I could laterally move to other roles immediately or take a brief <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/quit-six-figure-job-solo-travel-career-break-no-regret-2024-10">vacation between jobs</a> without disrupting my career trajectory.In the UK, notice periods are a minimum of three months, which I found really frustrating.I'm <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-build-an-education-program-that-helps-retain-employees-2022-11">not looking to change roles</a>, but I worry that I will be overlooked for potential future jobs due to the lengthy notice period and a more laborious handover transition.<h2 id="4997bb13-d122-46c2-be94-b2eed27546ce">But London's work-life balance has been a huge relief</h2><div type="image" title="Pooja Shah with husband in red Indian wedding attire" height="3840" width="4976" msid="115301512" hostid="261" sizebytes="1571084"></div>My salary has been pretty comparable across both cities. But the attitude toward work is significantly different.In New York, I worked around the clock and sometimes on weekends. I'd log back online in the evenings after happy hours or social outings. I even had my phone during my wedding and honeymoon.At the beginning of my career, I was excited by this because I was constantly learning, but soon enough, I <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/burnout-work-boss-left-office-on-stretcher-2024-4">felt burnout</a> and couldn't sustain being available all the time.In London, there is a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-work-life-balance-advice-boss-lessons-job-2024-1">clear work-life balance</a>. I have not been contacted by an employer outside work hours, while on vacation, or on sick days.It's been a welcome relief from my days in New York when I always felt obligated to keep my work phone on.<h2 id="5dd76f89-4839-438a-b656-9830925b4d67">The cultural differences made finding friends a challenge</h2>When I was living in New York, I felt like people were more sociable and open to getting to know each other. It was <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-make-friends-at-work-2024-10">easy for me to connect</a> with someone I met at a bar or the library.However, my experience with the British is that they are more reserved and have a dryer sense of humor, which I don't always understand.There are also cultural references in TV, film, or politics, which I can't relate to because I didn't grow up here.<h2 id="929954d2-088b-4243-ba33-cb38e36f492a">But my new social circle has given me a whole new perspective</h2>Over time, my social circle has solidified, and I appreciate how different it is from back home.Given London's proximity to the Middle East and Asia, my new friends come from diverse backgrounds and offer unique perspectives on geopolitical and cultural issues that aren't talked about in my NYC friend circle.These friendships have exposed me to different mentalities, cities that are now on my bucket list, and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/famous-foods-meals-to-eat-in-life-2019-8">new culinary dishes</a>.<h2 id="2e24a655-0204-447b-af95-6ae37bfeed84">I've had an amazing experience with the UK's healthcare system</h2><div type="image" title="Pooja Shah with husband and sunset in background" height="1152" width="1536" msid="115301509" hostid="261" sizebytes="94628"></div>The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/british-healthcare-as-an-american-2017-3">UK's National Health Service (NHS)</a> has provided a more straightforward, universal healthcare experience than the private insurance I had through my employer in the US.I no longer worry about sky-high medical bills or filing insurance claims. Sure, there can be longer wait times for certain procedures, such as routine dental cleaning or eye exams, but the peace of mind of knowing I'm covered is invaluable.Earlier this month, my husband and I welcomed our firstborn child. Initially, I was worried about navigating an unfamiliar health system.Then, I learned about a hotline service through the NHS that any parent can use as often as they want <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-i-wish-i-knew-about-pregnancy-before-getting-pregnant-2022-10">during pregnancy</a>. The team of compassionate midwives I spoke to over the phone offered guidance and reassurance throughout my pregnancy, free of charge.After my son's birth, community health visitors and midwives visited our home, ensuring that both my newborn and I were coping well with the postpartum period.My son, who was born preterm, was closely monitored, and I was offered breastfeeding assistance. We also had the option to go to local drop-in clinics as often as we liked to improve latching, meet other parents, and attend music therapy sessions.Moving to a new country in your 30s is never an easy transition, but overall, I prefer life in London over New York City because of the slightly more relaxed lifestyle, reliable healthcare system, and work-life boundaries.Though I miss my family and friends in New York City, London is now home for the foreseeable future.

I moved from New York City to London. The job hunt was a culture shock but it was worth it for the healthcare and work-life balance.

May Udy, 32, is "on the cusp" of affording part-time childcare. She works full-time at her remote sales job, and her husband, Jackson, has a steady stream of work as a contract engineer in Knoxville, Tennessee.Yet, the cost of even a few days of childcare for their two children, Noah and Hannah, aged 5 and 6, is <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://blog.dol.gov/2023/01/24/new-childcare-data-shows-prices-are-untenable-for-families">untenable</a>.Nationally, care for one child <a target="_blank" href="https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2024/01/rising-child-care-cost.html">ranges from $4,800 to $15,000</a> a year, and the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/healthcare-childcare-expensive-costs-wage-growth-employment-ai-risks-2024-8">prices are expected to keep rising</a>. In Tennessee, the average annual childcare cost is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/10news-today/child-care-unaffordable-tennessee-knox-county-east-daycare/51-f92ad8f3-27ee-4bcc-9392-1ce4966c3c94">$10,000-$11,000</a>.Politicians on both sides of the aisle agree that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-proposal-medicare-in-home-eldercare-childcare-sandwich-generation-2024-10">childcare is a significant financial strain</a>. In a recent interview, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/jd-vance-solution-childcare-crisis-is-to-have-grandparents-do-it-for-free">JD Vance</a> suggested parents should ask their families to pitch in. "Maybe grandma or grandpa wants to help out a little bit more," Vance said. "If that happens, you relieve some of the pressure on all the resources that we're spending on day care."For Udy, that isn't an option.She is one of those millennial parents who get <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennials-say-boomer-parents-abandoned-them-2023-11">no childcare help from their parents</a>, whether due to distance or larger disagreements about raising kids.According to Pew Research, baby boomers are staying in the workforce longer than previous generations, which means they aren't always around to watch their grandkids. Some grandparents also <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boomer-grandma-stopped-babysitting-set-boundaries-millennial-kids-2023-12">set boundaries around babysitting</a> because they want space to lead their own lives.Udy's in-laws live a five-hour flight away in Washington state, and she said that when they do visit, they are only interested in the "fun" side of being grandparents. They "don't do diapers" and have never offered to babysit. Her parents, meanwhile, are on a church mission off the coast of Fiji for the next two years. It means she and her husband are spread thin all the time."We are always tired," Udy said. "It's easy to let jealousy slip in when our friends in similar situations have family support that will come at the drop of a hat."<h2 id="3847abb9-43c5-4908-8e9d-95503df440af">Americans are more atomized</h2>For those who live far from family, raising kids can be an expensive and isolating experience.Katie and Anthony Waldron live in Long Island, New York — a seven-hour drive from her family in Buffalo and a roughly 10-hour journey from his mother and relatives across the pond in Birmingham, UK.It made sense for them to settle in Long Island with their 4-year-old son, whose name they withheld for privacy. Katie is in public relations, Anthony is a TV producer, and they are just an hour's train from New York City, which has more job opportunities than their respective hometowns.Still, it's been harder than they anticipated to build a local community of friends who could actually watch their kid sometimes."Both of us being outsiders, we never recognized how challenging it might be," Waldron, 38, said.From the time their son was four months old, they paid $20,000 a year for day care until pre-K, which is free in New York. Now, they spend about $700 a month for two hours of care once his school day ends. They also hire a babysitter for $15 an hour when they need to run quick errands, which comes to about $60 total every few months.But when that babysitter is unavailable, Waldron remembers how alone they are. She once had to list an emergency contact for her son's pre-K application form. They didn't have one, eventually just jotting down the name of a friend, even though she is often traveling for work. Waldron's upstate siblings would be more than happy to jump in, but they live too far away to be helpful in an emergency."That was one of the most distressing things and made us really consider if this is the right place for us to be living," Waldron said.They are considering moving back to the UK, where they met when she was in college, to be closer to family and gain access to more affordable childcare services.Waldron and her husband want a second child soon before they're much older, or the age gap between their two kids is too wide. They can't see how it would work if they stayed in the US."The burden of childcare costs and, equally, the lack of emotional support as we go through our parenting journey make it impossible to have another," she said.<h2 id="39f85f20-6e33-4c12-a752-6eb60a93957d">Standards for childcare are changing, too</h2>Even with grandparents nearby and readily available, some parents face another obstacle to free childcare: vastly differing views on how to do it well."Parenting standards have become much more exacting," Dr. Katie B. Garner, the executive director of the International Association of Maternal Action and Scholarship, a nonprofit academic organization focused on motherhood, told Business Insider. These days, parenting tends to be more <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/child-focused-parenting-bad-for-kids-parents-2024-7">child-focused</a>, as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennial-parents-worry-boomer-grandparents-making-their-kids-anxious-2023-12">millennials strive to be more mindful</a> of their children's mental health than their parents were with them.Childcare, while expensive, has a certain appeal for millennial parents who have a firm idea of how they want their kids raised. An employee has to listen to what they want and will likely be up to speed on the latest parenting trends. A grandparent may be emboldened to do the exact opposite.Daisy Montgomery tried to lean on her parents for help raising Ashton, her seven-year-old son who, like her and her husband, Barclay, was diagnosed with ADHD and autism."The few times that we did have my parents babysit my son, they really didn't have the skills to support him," Montgomery, 35, said. After sharing her son's diagnosis with her parents, she felt dismissed. She said her dad told her there was "nothing wrong" with his grandson and that he was being "babied" with speech and occupational therapy.Eventually, it led to her <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/death-estranged-parent-still-painful-2024-5">becoming estranged</a> from them. Because Barclay is also estranged from his parents, they have no family support.They had to start from scratch in finding caretakers in Fort Collins, Colorado. "It was really hard and lonely," Montgomery said. While they were able to send their son to a free preschool for children with disabilities, they'd be called 45 minutes after drop-off and asked to come pick him up. She said they were told the school couldn't handle him.Over time, they have found like-minded people, including the parents of their son's autistic classmates, who can help out with care now and then. They hired a babysitter, who also has autism, for around $120 a month. They also spend around $1,500 a year on respite care, short-term care service for children with disabilities."We've built this community with people who understand what it's like to be autistic and disabled, and that's made a huge difference for us," Montgomery said.<h2 id="20376db6-88ef-444f-9ee2-d56a60213dee">Parents are toughing it out alone</h2>There is another hidden cost of today's expensive childcare.Long-term, this impacts <a target="_blank" href="https://kpmg.com/us/en/articles/2024/may-2024-childcare-crisis-state-work-america.html">economic growth</a> as much as it does individual families. "It's why people are oftentimes not working more hours, not seeking the promotions, not going for the more aggressive career path," Garner said.Udy, who used to be a chemist in California, switched careers and moved to Tennessee after having a second child increased their childcare costs in the Bay Area to over $3,000 a month. Waldron limits how many clients she accepts because she has to take care of her son, too.Garner believes American parents need much more government help. The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/high-childcare-costs-in-us-women-workforce-cheapest-countries-kids-2024-2">US has one of the most expensive childcare systems</a> in the world.While the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-67832148">UK also has high childcare costs</a>, Waldron is drawn to options such as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.gov.uk/check-eligible-free-childcare-if-youre-working">15-30 hours of free childcare</a> a week and low-cost extracurriculars. She said a relative of her husband pays £5 (about $6.50) per session for his son's after-school Lego club."So many parents would be so thrilled in America if they could have access to something like that," Waldron said.

The costs of raising kids without grandparental care

The <keyword id="22200485" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NEET-PG-2024" source="keywords">NEET-PG 2024</keyword> entrance examination will be held on <keyword id="22298192" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="August-11" source="keywords">August 11</keyword> in two shifts, the <keyword id="20270021" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Board-of-Examinations-in-Medical-Sciences" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences">National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences</keyword> announced on Friday. The <keyword id="19957604" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="exam" source="keywords">exam</keyword> was earlier scheduled to be held on June 23. "In continuation of NBEMS notice dated 22.06.2024, the conduct of NEET-PG 2024 examination has been rescheduled. It will now be conducted on August 11 in two shifts. The cut-off date for the purpose of eligibility to appear in the NEET-PG 2024 shall continue to be August 15, 2024," the Board said. The <keyword id="19897332" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Union-Health-Ministry" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Union Health Ministry" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Union Health Ministry">Union Health Ministry</keyword> on June 22 postponed the NEET-PG entrance examination, scheduled to be held on June 23, as a "precautionary measure" in the wake of allegations on the integrity of certain competitive exams. Several meetings since then have been held with officials from the Union Health Ministry, National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) along with its technical partner Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), National Medical Commission (NMC) and Cyber Cell officials to evaluate the "robustness" of the system for the conduct of the exam, sources said. The Ministry of Health had decided to undertake a thorough assessment of the robustness of processes of the NEET-PG entrance examination. The National Eligibility Entrance Test-Postgraduate (NEET-PG) entrance examination is conducted by NBEMS along with its technical partner TCS for medical students. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/upcoming-smartphones-launching-in-india-in-july-2024/slidelist/111304902.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/upcoming-smartphones-launching-in-india-in-july-2024/slidelist/111304902.cms" target="_blank">Upcoming smartphones launching in India in July 2024</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/hp-envy-x360-14-review/articleshow/111407165.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/hp-envy-x360-14-review/articleshow/111407165.cms" target="_blank">HP Envy x360 14 review – feature-packed laptop with a sleek design</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/motorola-razr-50-ultra-flip-phone-launched-in-india-for-99999/slidelist/111504950.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/motorola-razr-50-ultra-flip-phone-launched-in-india-for-99999/slidelist/111504950.cms" target="_blank">Motorola Razr 50 Ultra flip phone launched in India for ₹99,999</a>

New dates announced for NEET-PG 2024, exam to be held on August 11

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/madison-marsh-air-force-miss-america-duties-photos-2024-5">Madison Marsh</a> is bridging the divide between the US military and pageantry.</li><li>As Miss America and a US Air Force officer, she aims to dispel long-held misconceptions about both.</li></ul>The US military and beauty pageantry are often seen as polar opposites — one known for toughness, discipline, and combat readiness, and the other for elegance, grace, and competition for a crown.Madison Marsh, a US Air Force second lieutenant and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/air-force-officer-madison-marsh-crowned-miss-america-photos-2024-1">Miss America 2024</a>, is on a mission to show that the two worlds are not so different.Marsh spent the last year in both crown and sash and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/air-force-officer-madison-marsh-crowned-miss-america-photos-2024-1">USAF uniform</a>, serving as an active-duty officer and pageant titleholder. In an interview with Business Insider, the 23-year-old said she'd used her platform to show there's no conflict between being a military officer and a beauty contestant."A lot of people don't understand what military services are, or maybe they have some of the outdated views on how the Air Force used to operate," Marsh said. "Now I'm getting to change the idea of showing people that the Air Force is rebranding itself. We are in a new phase where the Air Force is inviting others to take charge of their passions outside of the uniform."Marsh said she is also urging people to look beyond the glitz and glam of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vintage-photos-of-miss-america-beauty-pageants">Miss America</a> to see the deeper purpose behind the century-old competition."We often have to explain to people how pageants aren't stereotypically what people believe them to be," she said. "The pageant, as in Miss America, that I compete in is about community service, leadership, and public speaking — all of these core skills and values that hold to be true in the Air Force as well."<div type="image" title="Madison Marsh salutes with Joe Biden on a large videoscreen in the background" height="665" width="999" msid="113966827" hostid="261" sizebytes="22442"></div>Breaking these long-held stereotypes was not one she "actively" wanted when she became the first active-duty officer to be <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/miss-colorado-madison-marsh-crowned-miss-america-air-force-harvard-2024-1">crowned Miss America</a>, she said."I didn't step into this role trying or actively wanting to break those stereotypes. I was simply just doing something that I loved," she said. "In the process of being authentically me and ensuring that I still did all the things that I loved, I was able to break some of those stereotypes and show people that if you have passion in different areas, even if they're conflicting with one another, you can still get it done."Nonetheless, the task came easily to her, she said, as she drew on her own fears and uncertainties prior to attending the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/every-uniform-us-air-force-academy-cadet-issued-2023-8">US Air Force Academy</a> to quell those in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-new-air-force-cadets-go-through-on-day-one-2021-7">potential future cadets</a>.After her win in January, Marsh embarked on a national tour, returning to her hometown of Fort Smith, Arkansas, throwing the first pitch at a Nationals game, and giving her fellow Miss America delegates a tour of the Air Force Academy.Her Miss America title took her overseas as well, speaking with Royal Air Force cadets in the United Kingdom at the world's largest military air show and commemorating the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy, France.And in her 10-month reign as Miss America, Marsh said she is already seeing an impact."This young freshman came up to me with her and her mom, and she told me that she was really considering not going to the [US Air Force] Academy anymore until she had seen that I became Miss America because that showed her that she could still be feminine in and out of uniform, that she could still be herself, that she could still take charge of her outside passions while still serving," Marsh said.<div type="image" title="Madison Marsh smiles for a photo in front of an aircraft displaying &quot;US Air Force.&quot;" height="643" width="1000" msid="113966823" hostid="261" sizebytes="19194"></div>Marsh doesn't have to take up the mantle of representing military women in the world of pageantry alone. In August, 2nd Lt. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/miss-usa-alma-cooper-army-west-point-pageants-2024-8">Alma Cooper</a>, a US Army military intelligence officer, was <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-miss-usa-michigan-us-army-officer-2024-8">crowned</a> <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/miss-usa">Miss USA</a> after a tumultuous year in one of the country's biggest pageants.While the new titleholders haven't connected about their respective wins, Marsh said Cooper is "another great representative who can talk about what it means to be a woman in the Army, and hopefully, that can bring some better recruiting in that area as well."With both <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/miss-usa-miss-america-pageant-differences">Miss America and Miss USA</a> being active-duty officers, Marsh said it's "giving a broader representation of the direction that the military is moving in" — where service members have the freedom to pursue outside passions and interests even if they're high-profile.Beyond pageantry and military, Marsh champions awareness and advocacy for pancreatic cancer, the disease that took her mother Whitney's life when Madison was just 17. She turned her grief into action, founding a nonprofit named after her mother, Whitney Marsh Foundation, assisting in pancreatic cancer research, and pursuing a master's degree in public policy at Harvard Kennedy School, which she deferred until January as she balances pageant duties and active duty.As Marsh approaches her last few months as Miss America, several paths lie before her as she looks to the future — whether it be attending flight school to become an Air Force pilot (she already has a civilian pilot's license), continuing her master's degree to shape future public health policies, or participating in more research and advocacy for pancreatic cancer.<div type="image" title="Madison Marsh sits on the ramp of a C-130J in flight" height="665" width="999" msid="113966828" hostid="261" sizebytes="30540"></div>If there's one thing that people will take away from her reign, Marsh said she hopes she's shown that putting on a uniform — be it crown and sash or flight suit — adds to your identity, not takes away from it."Now we can start to talk about these misconceptions that the general public has, showing that you don't have to give up these vital, passionate parts of yourself to put on that uniform," Marsh said."My passion for serving the pancreatic cancer community still exists when I put on that uniform every morning," she added, "and that's what the military now wants us to move toward: recognizing we don't have to give up these outside passions to still serve."

Miss America Madison Marsh says people just keep getting pageantry and the Air Force wrong

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Veteran treatment courts provide comprehensive rehabilitations for convicted veterans.</li><li>Adult drug treatment courts are struggling to provide comparable support due to lack of resources.</li></ul>Veteran Treatment Courts give convicted US military veterans a shot at rehab and comprehensive care, but similar treatment courts made for the public have more work to do to be of more help."We don't have a very robust treatment infrastructure in this country and there are many communities where adequate treatment is difficult to access," said Christopher Deutsch, the communications director of All Rise, a nonprofit focused on assisting drug court, veterans treatment court, and DWI court professionals.Veteran treatment courts, which prioritize rehabilitation for convicted veterans, provide comprehensive care, but the public version of these courts fail to deliver comparable support.Deutsch added that these public-facing treatment centers are lacking sufficient accessibility and medical care individuals need to properly provide effective treatment."Outside of treatment courts, we know that things like substance abuse counselors, mental health counselors, in general, there's a struggle for those positions to be filled," said Christina Lanier, the co-director of the National Treatment Court Resource Center."I would imagine that that trickles down to the treatment court world," she said.There are other challenges as well. Counties receive federal funding to provide and pay for mental health and substance abuse services, but instead of establishing or assisting an existing a treatment court with more funds where it is needed, counties may decide to put the money elsewhere.<div type="image" title="drug court graduation" height="3176" width="4984" msid="109460586" hostid="261" sizebytes="300476"></div>Lanier, who is also a sociology and criminology professor at UNC Wilmington, said issues with treatment courts having sufficient resources and providing proper care is often "location specific."For example, there are very few treatment courts in Raleigh, North Carolina's capital city, compared to Wilmington, a city which is almost 130 miles away with a population that is four times smaller.<h2>Landing in a treatment court</h2>As of 2022, there were over 4,153 adult drug courts and 511 veteran treatment courts in the United States.Based on a 2019 <a target="_blank" href="https://ntcrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/PCP_2022_HighlightsInsights_DigitalRelease.pdf">NTCRC survey</a>, responsive veteran treatment courts had a graduation rate of 76.7% with 9,592 active participants at the time, and responsive adult drug courts had a graduation rate of 56.6% with 90,990 active participants at the time.There are numerous ways a person who has been convicted can enter a drug treatment court."There are some people that enter the program, what we call 'pre-plea,' so they're gonna do the program and once they do the program, their charges are going to maybe be dismissed. There's people that come into the program, that are what we call 'post-plea,' so as part of their plea, they're pleading guilty, and doing the program is part of that," Lanier said.While a person with a drug offense may be eligible to participate in drug treatment court, a person whose substance use has been determined to be an underlying cause of the criminal activity may also be eligible.In addition to a substance abuse diagnosis, other criteria that makes an incarcerated individual eligible for drug court is their risk and need placement on the Risk-Need-Responsivity model.The model displays contributing factors and characteristics that determine whether an incarcerated person is at risk of repeat offense or recidivism. The higher the level of risk and need, the more eligible they could be for drug court participation.The veteran courts are modeled off of general treatment courts, which began 30 years ago as a way for those who were convicted of crimes and dealing with substance use to work with court staff and receive successful treatment to prevent them from becoming repeat offenders.<div type="image" title="graduation ceremony of the Hawaii Veterans Treatment Court" height="1164" width="1800" msid="109460587" hostid="261" sizebytes="153278"></div>Deutsch explained to Business Insider that "the treatment court is a way to incentivize them to participate in treatment and the other social support that comes along with it with the idea that they can emerge from the program without a felony conviction and be able to be back with their families and in their communities and be productive."Veteran treatment courts may have different criteria for veterans they can accept into their program. In addition to treatment, these courts can provide support in housing, employment, and more.Veteran treatment courts are exclusive to veterans and there, they can interact with mentors who may have faced similar circumstances.Depending on the institution funding an adult drug court, it may or may not be able receive violent offenders for treatment. The Bureau of Justice Assistance, a federal agency, <a target="_blank" href="https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/atc-violent-offender-prohibition-faq.pdf">prohibits</a> its funds be used by drug treatment courts to take in violent offenders.Many adult drug treatment courts are unable to admit violent offenders due to the BJA prohibition.The veteran treatment courts, however, are not prohibited to admit violent offenders unless the individual court has its own prohibition."They are the only court that can get funding from BJA that can accept violent offenders into their program," Lanier said.<h2>Hondo's story</h2>"There's a lot of mentors that come in and different organizations, whether it be housing veteran groups for community outreach, things of that nature," recounted Hondo Underwood, a former marine who participated in a veteran treatment court to avoid extensive prison time after being <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-grand-theft-auto-works-former-car-thief-crime-2024-4">convicted of car theft</a>. "I was able to reach out to David's House, which is a sober living home."Underwood was also using drugs while he was stealing cars, using the money he made from stealing cars to purchase drugs.He describes his veteran treatment court experience as going through an "intense supervised probation" that gradually lessened. He was then placed in a rehab facility and was required to check in with his probation officer.<div type="image" title="Hondo Underwood side by side with footage from a car theft" height="544" width="966" msid="109460590" hostid="261" sizebytes="10912"></div>"I got a 12 to 18 year deferred sentence," he explained. "As long as I was able to accomplish veterans treatment court, which I successfully did once I graduated from Harbor Lights rehab facility, I still had the choice to stay there because I was a veteran."Underwood had stolen hundreds of cars in Colorado prior to his arrest in 2017."Going through Veterans Treatment court, again, it gave me a sense of purpose, a sense of 'I can get out of the neighborhood and I can give people an option or somebody to look up to,'" he told BI's Ju Shardlow.Veteran treatment courts are partnered with local Veterans Affairs branches and other veteran organizations which can provide help for veterans who may experience PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, and other conditions specific to veterans.Deutsch said that the VA's inclusion in veteran treatment courts is an advantage because it "removes one of the major issues that any program that's working with people who need treatment is going to be confronted with, which is how to access that treatment and how does that treatment get paid for."To get access to an adult drug court, an individual must undergo an assessment that demonstrates whether they have a substance use disorder. Oftentimes these individuals have gone through treatment before or have had long criminal histories.<h2>Care out of reach</h2>However, adult drug treatment courts as well as treatment facilities countrywide are in need of more trained professionals, open beds, and treatment availability to properly serve vulnerable individuals.Many of these issues could be solved with adequate distribution of federal funds from local governments, but in addition to crucial funding, another key to a successful drug treatment court is how it interacts with the community it's established in."The screening and assessment can tell you what the person needs, but then whether or not it's out there for them is another challenge," Deutsch said. "The courts themselves need to understand who they're serving and make sure that their programs are adequately, culturally responsive."<div type="image" title="drug court client" height="412" width="594" msid="109460592" hostid="261" sizebytes="13786"></div>The treatment court can be subjected to varying levels of skepticism and pushback from community members depending on where it's based, but treatment courts can map out local resources in order to provide even better accessible assistance to the participant.One way to do this is for centers to survey their jurisdiction at the beginning of their establishment, what Deutsch called "community mapping."Key factors like the demographics of those participating in the courts, as well as the scope and number of those needing treatment, play into the success of the treatment court at its inception."These programs should be reflective of their community," Deutsch added.If programs reflect the wider community they're serving, the more effective they'll be in being able to take advantage of existing resources and serve the public's specific needs.Some of these services might look like financial literacy and employment assistance programs.Bringing different faces of the community together around this treatment court to provide services outside of criminal justice allows for the treatment court participants to not only connect with the community they reside in but to also help them get back on their feet.

A key service helping convicted US veterans recover remains dysfunctional for everyone else, but there's a fix

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Wireless pagers used by Hezbollah exploded across Lebanon on Tuesday.</li><li>The attack killed at least nine people and injured about 2,800, Lebanon's health minister said.</li></ul>The simultaneous detonation of thousands of pagers in Lebanon on Tuesday is a harbinger of a darker and more dangerous age of individualized attacks, according to a retired general and warfare strategist.Wireless pagers used by Iran-backed Hezbollah members <a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/iran-backed-hezbollah-members-hurt-after-pagers-just-weirdly-exploded-2024-9">detonated</a> around Lebanon on Tuesday, killing at least nine people and injuring about 2,800, 200 of whom are in critical condition, Lebanon's health minister <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.moph.gov.lb/en/Media/news#/en/Media/view/75382/abiad-in-an-emergency-press-conference-the-initial-toll-of-the-security-incident-is-9-martyrs-and-ab">said</a>.Hezbollah and Lebanon have <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" class="" href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/several-killed-thousands-hurt-as-wave-of-pager-explosions-strikes-hezbollah/">both blamed Israel</a>.A US State Department spokesperson said Washington was not involved in the incident and was not aware of any attack in advance.US and other officials told <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/17/world/middleeast/israel-hezbollah-pagers-explosives.html">The New York Times</a> that Israel carried out the attack by placing explosives within a shipment of Taiwanese-made pagers sent to Lebanon.The pagers were ordered by Hezbollah and were tampered with before they reached Lebanon, some of the officials said.Three officials said they were programmed to detonate upon receiving a specific message.As of now, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, although Sky News Arabia, citing unnamed sources, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/SkyNewsArabia_B/status/1836106211269202205">reported</a> that Mossad, Israel's foreign intelligence service, placed the explosives.If Israel was behind the attack, it would carry "profound implications" for Hezbollah and the future of warfare, Mick Ryan, a former Australian major general, wrote in an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/pager-bombs-precision-warfare-takes-personal-turn-lebanon">article published on Wednesday</a>."This is yet another demonstration that individuals are increasingly vulnerable to highly precise and personalized attacks," he said.Ryan cited the use of armed first-person-view drones on the battlefields in Ukraine and Russia, which he said showed the use of lethal personalized attacks had escalated in the past two years.He said that the use of explosive mobile devices has been "relatively" rare in the past, and that this latest incident has shown that lethal, personal attacks are now possible at scale and "well beyond" the battlefield."These kinds of attacks do not require the resources of a state either," he said. "They are possible from motivated individuals or issue-motivated groups if they can access the personal devices of government officials or politicians."Ryan added that such an attack should not come as a surprise: "Nations have been developing ever more precise ways of targeting individuals, equipment, and installations since the US Air Force developed laser-guided bombs during the Vietnam War."Yousef Munayyer, a senior fellow at Arab Center Washington DC, made a similar observation in an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/yousefmunayyer/status/1836056729009668373?s=46&amp;t=o-gfid_uWzVLqbUuvoCCsg">X post</a> on Tuesday.He said the pager attack on Hezbollah "opens a dangerous Pandora's box" and makes almost everyone a "walking ticking bomb.""It won't be long before this tech will be used by many actors," Munayyer predicted.

Hezbollah pager attacks are a harbinger of a darker, more dangerous age of individualized strikes, military expert says

When Josef Woodman's shoulder gave out in 2012 — strained from chopping firewood on his farm outside Chapel Hill, North Carolina — he said he was quoted between $2,400 and $3,200 for an MRI at Duke University Hospital.He didn't want to shell out the cost of a nice vacation just to find out he didn't need surgery, so he decided to wait, even as his mobility decreased to the point where he had to severely limit his farm work and could hold only one-third of the weight he normally could. Two years later, his patience was rewarded: While on a work trip to Bangkok, he got an MRI for just $460, landing an appointment two days after his consultation at a hospital."The results came back and they said, 'You don't need surgery. You've got a separated rotator cuff,'" Woodman said. The surgeon prescribed physical therapy, which he completed in the US. "The shoulder got way better," he told me. He was glad he waited.Like Woodman, millions of Americans travel abroad for medical procedures each year, saving anywhere from 40% to 90% on the services they receive. Many <a target="_blank" href="https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(18)30620-X/fulltext">don't have health insurance</a> or don't get coverage for the procedures they seek out — dental work and cosmetic procedures like breast implants and liposuction are by far the most popular. There's also a small but growing market for people seeking thorough checkups and testing abroad. An ascendant medical-tourism industry is offering these types of screenings, including MRIs and electrocardiograms, in beautiful locations around the world and packaging them with transportation, accommodations, food, shopping, and sightseeing. And with an increasing obsession with "wellness" and celebrities like Kim Kardashian promoting full-body imaging, it's easy to see why more and more Americans are looking to pair cabanas with CAT scans."If you've got some kind of joint pain, or if you have some kind of condition that isn't progressing, incorporate that into your normal travel plans," Woodman, now 72, said. In 2007, he founded Patients Beyond Borders, a healthcare-consulting company that helps Americans plan medical vacations, after growing up taking trips to Mexico for dental work with his dad. "In any kind of industrialized nation, you'd be able to get access to good-quality screening and people who can interpret the results," he said.Medical tourism comes with risks; the American Medical Association recommends going only to medical facilities recognized by international accrediting bodies and following up testing with care at home. But a growing number of Americans are willing to take those risks, as suites of tests abroad are often cheaper and faster than just a single test in the US."We just don't have a preventative-oriented society here in the United States," Woodman said. "Our approach is reactive."In a July <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@bryn.elise/video/7386406512593325355?lang=en">TikTok</a> that's amassed over 17 million views, Bryn Elise documented her experience at a Turkish hospital where she received over 30 scans and tests, including an EKG, chest X-ray, and abdominal and thyroid ultrasounds, in a single day. The bill? $830. Without insurance, the cost of an EKG alone in the US <a target="_blank" href="https://enhancehealth.com/blog/how-much-does-an-ekg-cost-at-urgent-care-without-insurance/#:~:text=The%20total%20cost%20of%20an,where%20you%20get%20the%20service.">can vary from $100 to $5,000</a>."Personally, I'd rather spend $700 on a flight to Turkey, get dozens of tests there, and take a whole vacation than spend the thousands that this would have cost in the United States," Elise said in the video, which also featured clips of her on a beach, poolside, and eating a spread of delicious-looking Turkish veggie bowls. The 29-year-old health- and beauty-tourism influencer said she booked the trip because she wanted to investigate some "mysterious ailments," including brain fog, vision problems, and heart palpitations, without paying America's sky-high healthcare costs. She told her followers she had struggled with an eating disorder for 10 years and that "since our US checkups are only a tap on the knee and a blood-pressure check, I've been low-key terrified that I've caused permanent damage to my body but would never find out until it's too late."Her tests unearthed an astigmatism, early signs of osteoporosis, and "critically low" levels of vitamin B12. "The feeling of impending doom I've had due to health concerns is gone," Elise said.She chose a hospital that had been accredited by the Joint Commission International, an Illinois-based organization that has accredited over 1,000 health facilities in more than 70 countries. Dr. Paulo Neno, an international-accreditation surveyor at the commission, told Business Insider the accreditation process takes up to two years to complete and is renewed every three years. It includes a 12-part evaluation, during which a team of doctors and nurses visit the medical facility and assess everything from its operating theaters and intensive-care units to its power and water systems."We are focused on understanding how they are providing safe care for high-risk patients," Neno said.It's unclear, though, how many medical tourists visit accredited facilities, and there's still the question of whether all these tests are useful for someone who is seemingly in good health. Woodman knew he had an issue that needed to be examined, but Elise was more interested in a holistic screening regimen. One person commented on Elise's TikTok, "The hypochondriac in me thinks this is the perfect vacation. I'd go every year."Since COVID-19 came into the picture, health screenings and extensive physicals have received some buzz. Last year, Kardashian got a full-body MRI done by Prenuvo, a US chain of diagnostic clinics that offers the service for $2,500. In an Instagram post promoting it, Kardashian described it as a "life saving machine" that could detect cancer or conditions like aneurysms in their earliest stages. Especially given the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/colon-cancer-cases-doubled-young-people-2024-5">rise in colon cancer</a> among young people — a disease that can spread with no or minimal symptoms — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/get-colonoscopy-colon-cancer-symptoms-colorectal-oncologist-2024-4">early screenings</a> are on more people's minds.But Arturo Vargas Bustamante, an associate professor of health policy and management at the University of California, Los Angeles, said these kinds of rigorous tests can often do more harm than good."You may get a lot of things that you may not need based on your age profile, or you may get screenings that ultimately would find something that could lead to treatment that may harm you," he said. US guidelines on which demographics should get tested are based on scientific evidence, he added, while clinics abroad may be more motivated by profit.If a test finds cancer at a very early stage when it's very slow-moving, Vargas Bustamante said, the patient may feel compelled to treat it immediately, subjecting themself to chemotherapy and radiation. But in reality, it's possible they could have gone years without needing to start treatment. "Sometimes knowing too much may not be that good for you," he said.Others, however, think that America's lack of access to robust preventive screening is a critical failure.Dr. Misael Uribe Ramos is the director of international medicine at Médica Sur in Mexico City, a Joint Commission International-accredited hospital that offers checkups with eight different specialists for $1,600. Uribe Ramos has seen interest in rigorous physicals boom since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic — and he thinks it's a good thing.Often when you go to the doctor, it's to treat a specific issue or disease, he said. "But why is that? Because you don't have prevention," he said. "Prevention is the best way to be healthy."In America, chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer are leading causes of death and disability, driving the majority of the US's $4.5 trillion in yearly healthcare expenses, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/chronic-disease/about/index.html">according to</a> the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These illnesses are largely preventable. The CDC also says that between 30% and 50% of cancers diagnosed today could be prevented by reducing risk factors (like not smoking and maintaining a healthy body weight) and getting recommended screenings and vaccinations. However, according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://health.gov/news/202401/prevention-still-best-medicine">US Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion</a>, only 5.3% of Americans 35 and older received all recommended clinical prevention services in 2020 — a number that dropped from 8.5% in 2015. Why? Simply put, many Americans aren't regular healthcare users. They often don't have a family doctor, they live too far from one, they don't have a way to get there, or they simply can't afford it, the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion says. Meanwhile, preventive-care services aren't prioritized because healthcare providers are paid to treat diseases — not to prevent them by keeping people healthy. A 2020 study said the National Academy of Medicine <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7309216/">estimated</a> that missed prevention opportunities cost the US $55 billion annually.Other countries take a different approach. In Japan, for instance, the most basic annual checkups include EKGs, chest X-rays, blood tests, eye and hearing tests, and stool and urine tests. And some residents require a more comprehensive version that includes cancer screening. Japanese employers are required to provide them for all of their employees. In 2019, about 74% of men and 66% of women in Japan completed some type of medical checkup, according to the country's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.South Korea's regimen is similar to Japan's. On a work trip there in 2010, Woodman had extensive testing done, including an MRI and CT scan, as part of a "wellness preventative program" he tried out for work, he said. He was offered an endoscopy and colonoscopy as part of the package but declined."Testing in the United States is really kind of pathetic," Woodman said. "They weigh you. They take your blood test. 'How tall are you?' And that's pretty much it."Americans seeking better preventive screening tend to visit South Korea, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates, while Mexico, Barbados, and Thailand are popular for genetic and fertility testing, as well as testing related to gender-affirming care, medical-tourism advocates told BI.Many of these countries have hospitals that cater to foreigners. In Mexico, Médica Sur's checkups take about five hours, with screenings across disciplines such as internal medicine, cardiology, gynecology, and ophthalmology. (In the US, a typical physical takes less than an hour.) Packages include breakfast, transportation, accommodation, menus catering to dietary restrictions, discounted sightseeing for an extra cost, and concierge staff who help patients coordinate their stay and remain by their side for the duration. The hospital is also connected to a Holiday Inn if visitors want to stay on-site.Results are available within two weeks, at which point the patient can discuss the findings with a doctor in person or remotely; a checkup three months later is also included in the price. If, for example, the screenings indicate a malignant tumor, Uribe Ramos said, doctors will explain to a patient which follow-up tests they need, either in their home country or at Médica Sur. He recommends getting a thorough exam once a year.Since opening its international-medicine wing in 2019, the hospital has seen 5,000 foreign patients, most of them American and Canadian, Uribe Ramos said.Imani Bashir was living in Cancún three years ago when she felt what she thought was a lump in her breast. At the time she was 34 — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cancer.org/cancer/screening/screening-recommendations-by-age.html#:~:text=Women%20ages%2040%20to%2044,should%20get%20mammograms%20every%20year.">young</a> to be receiving a mammogram — but her family had a history of the disease, so she booked an appointment anyway. In the US, the median <a target="_blank" href="https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/JCO.2023.41.16_suppl.e18917">cost</a> of a mammogram ranges from $140 to $360 for women who aren't insured. In Mexico, it was under $50. As a Black woman who grew up in the US without health insurance, the 37-year-old communications director found the experience especially validating."When we go to the doctor and say that we're in pain, it's kind of just shooed away, like it's not a big deal," Bashir said. In Mexico, the medical center didn't question her. Now that she's living in Washington, DC, she continues to travel to Mexico for both her and her son's dental appointments and other medical issues because it's cheaper and easier to get appointments. "It always feels good when you feel like you can take care of yourself, and financially, it's not going to be a detriment to your life and your health," she says.Given how many people experience difficulty navigating the American healthcare system, it's no surprise that the medical-tourism market is growing rapidly. Patients Beyond Borders estimates the industry is growing between 15% and 25% each year. And 2022 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9104082/#:~:text=The%20increase%20in%20medical%20tourism,other%20time%20in%20the%20past.">research</a> found that the increase in international tourism had helped fuel the trend. As <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/travel-agents-back-gen-z-millennials-vacation-planning-overseas-resorts-2024-6">more people spend time abroad</a>, it becomes easier to tack a few small medical tests onto your trip.Vargas Bustamante thinks traveling internationally for rigorous testing probably most benefits healthy people who just want "peace of mind." Despite the risk factors, the industry's growing appeal illustrates the limitations of American healthcare."Why would someone have to buy a plane ticket to go all the way on the other side of the world just for an adequate amount of healthcare? It's nuts," Bashir said. "But if people have the privilege, if people have the money to be able to do so, then I say, yeah."<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/manisha-krishnan">Manisha Krishnan</a> is an Emmy award-winning journalist who covers healthcare. She is based in Brooklyn.

Mojitos and an MRI: Meet the Americans who are getting health screenings on vacation 

<keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword> and Maldives have signed an agreement to introduce the <keyword id="19998949" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Unified-Payments-Interface" source="keywords">Unified Payments Interface</keyword> in the archipelago nation, which will have a "very positive" impact on its <keyword id="20260982" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tourism-sector" source="keywords">tourism sector</keyword>, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed on Friday during Jaishankar's three-day official visit to the Maldives. "Witnessed signing of MoU between (the) National Payments Corporation of India and (the) Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Maldives on (the) introduction of (a) digital payment system in the Maldives," he said in a post on X. Developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (<keyword id="19998946" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NPCI" source="keywords">NPCI</keyword>), Unified Payment Interface (UPI) is an instant real-time payment system to facilitate inter-bank transactions through mobile phones. Addressing a press conference with his Maldivian counterpart Moosa Zameer after their "productive discussions", Jaishankar said that India, through its UPI, has "revolutionised digital transactions". Stressing that it has taken financial inclusion in India to new levels, he said "Today 40 per cent of the world's real-time digital payments take place in our country." "We see this revolution, every day in our lives. I am pleased to note that with the signing of the MoU today, we have taken the first step towards bringing this digital innovation to Maldives," he said. "I wish the very best to stakeholders on both sides and hope that we will soon see the first UPI transaction here. I should mention that it will have a very positive impact on tourism," he added. Tourism is the main source of economic activity for the Maldives, contributing nearly 30 per cent of the GDP and generating more than 60 per cent of foreign exchange. Jaishankar's visit aims to reset the bilateral relationship with the Maldives and is the first high-level trip from India after the archipelago nation's pro-China president, Mohamed Muizzu, assumed office last year. "India's partnership with the Maldives is based on our deep desire to work together for each other's welfare and interests. It is a partnership that has enabled us to always swiftly and effectively respond to challenges, as witnessed in the past," Jaishankar said. "It is a partnership that has enabled us to deliver results and bring tangible benefits to our people in accordance with their wishes, aspirations and priorities," he said. In a post on X, Jaishankar also said, "Jointly inaugurated six High Impact Projects in areas of street lighting, mental health, children speech therapy and special education." "Welcome renewal of MoU between National Centre for Good Governance and Civil Services Commission on (the) training of additional 1,000 civil services officers," he added. Addressing the joint press conference, Maldivian Foreign Minister Zameer said, "India has always been one of our closest friends and a vital development partner." He said the "enduring friendship" was built on a foundation of mutual trust and respect and has continued to flourish over the years. "High-level exchanges between our countries have deepened our dialogue and cooperation in areas of shared interest. We remain dedicated to strengthening and advancing this mutually beneficial partnership," he said. "Minister Dr Jaishankar and I agreed that much more needs to be done to promote trade and investment between the Maldives and India," he said, adding that both sides are committed to establishing "effective mechanisms to enhance economic cooperation, fostering a vibrant and prosperous partnership that will benefit both the nations." Zameer said he conveyed President Muizzu's proposal to begin negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement between the Maldives and India. "This agreement alongside other economic and trade-related agreements will facilitate trade liberalisation and ease the risks of doing business in both our countries," he said. Zameer said that India and Maldives have also mutually agreed to further strengthen their partnership by continuing joint exercises and expanding training opportunities for officers from both countries, asserting that this reflects "our commitment to working together to ensure the security of our nations as well as ensuring the safety and stability of the Indian Ocean region." India's relations with the Maldives suffered a major setback last year when President Muizzu demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel manning three aviation platforms in the Maldives. Subsequently, the Indian military personnel were replaced by civilians by May 10, the mutually agreed date. "On regional and multilateral issues of importance, our countries have a common understanding and are united in our efforts to resolve them. We agreed to continue our cooperation on issues ranging from combating terrorism, violent extremism, drugs, human trafficking and to the promotion and protection of human rights," Zameer said. In his press statement, Jaishankar said that India and the Maldives "are not just close neighbours, we are also natural partners." "Today, we are mutually invested in each other's development and progress. In a globalised and interconnected world, we see a lot of volatility and global tensions. Even as the world is recovering from the impact of the COVID pandemic, we have been confronted with new challenges arising from international conflicts," he said. In this tumultuous environment, India has been and will be, an anchor of stability for its friends, partners and neighbours. To the Maldives specifically, India has provided support to deal with economic challenges through financial assistance and budgetary support, and by ensuring an uninterrupted supply of critical items, he noted. India's actions have been and will continue to be guided by its firm commitment to the philosophy of 'Sabka Saath, Sabke Vikas - which is- Together, we prosper', Jaishankar said. 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India to introduce UPI payment service in Maldives

After a full day of meetings at Julie, a startup that sells a morning-after pill, CEO Amanda E/J Morrison jumped a flight from New York to Boston and headed to a small, private college, where a trivia night awaited her. Dozens of students shuffled into a classroom with plates of chicken tenders, Texas toast, and bright blue boxes of the emergency contraceptive.Morrison had worked with the Planned Parenthood Generation Action club at Suffolk University to sponsor the event, part of Julie's efforts to win a new generation of consumers. However, she had another, more pressing reason for being there. Julie is doing more campus events to clear up some of the confusion about emergency contraception — namely, that it isn't medication abortion.Standing at the head of the classroom, Morrison read off a projector screen, "Emergency contraceptives like Julie are legal in how many states? 25, 48, 50, 37." Students tapped their answers into a quiz app. "It's 37," Lily, a spirited sophomore, whispered to her teammates.In a minute, the correct answer appeared on screen, and the quiet chatter rose to a clamor. Half the teams said 37 states."Fifty states, guys. It's everywhere," Morrison said.When asked why she said 37, Lily said, "Just the way things are going."In states that outlaw abortion, some patients and politicians worry that contraception could be in legal jeopardy, too. There's no federal law preserving access to birth control, rather, a patchwork of state laws and court decisions holding it in place. Another Trump term <a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/29/trump-birth-control-contraception-00159555">could change that</a>.For Julie, "that's the million dollar question of this election," Morrison said.<div type="image" title="TK" height="2000" width="2667" msid="114460252" hostid="261" sizebytes="193282"></div>"We're not worried about some big ban happening in the first hundred days. But how those decisions trickle down — what is presented in Congress as a bill, how the Supreme Court reacts, what trickles down to the states — becomes a real secondary concern," she said.Founders of women's health startups feel doubly invested in this election, one of the closest presidential races of the century. Half a dozen founders and investors of women's health companies, all women, told Business Insider that if Vice President Kamala Harris wins, it's business as usual. They said another Trump victory creates uncertainty for reproductive health startups, from period trackers to online abortion clinics to embryo banks.<div type="image" title="TK" height="1610" width="2147" msid="114460254" hostid="261" sizebytes="109206"></div>While Harris's presidential campaign has been marked by unrelenting support for reproductive healthcare, including contraception and abortions, Trump's position has been a moving target.The former president suggested <a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/29/trump-birth-control-contraception-00159555">in May</a> that he was "looking at" restrictions on birth control, then walked that position back in a social media post later that day. During the September presidential debate, he called himself a "leader" on IVF, a move that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/09/12/trump-ivf-gop-roe-abortion-00178760">angered</a> parts of his base that have sought to restrict fertility treatments. He said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-says-he-would-veto-federal-abortion-ban/">in October</a> that he'd veto a national abortion ban after deflecting the question for months but would support states ordaining their own abortion bans.Trump's waffling on reproductive rights has put founders of women's health startups on notice. "It is one of the major issues that we're discussing and that our CEOs are focused on — how to continue to provide care to women, especially women of childbearing age," said Trish Costello, founder of Portfolia, an investing platform that pools money from female accredited investors.The day after the presidential debate, Mika Eddy was vibrating with the weight of the election. The race's outcome could drastically change reproductive rights, foreign policy, gun safety, and climate law — all issues close to Eddy, a 35-year-old Californian and mother of two.But Eddy also has skin in the game as the chief executive officer of Malama Health, a startup helping women with gestational diabetes access better care. Its doula network assists patients on Medicaid with applying for benefits such as diabetes-friendly meals and medical transport.Eddy worries that if Trump wins, he would restrict access to the coverage and benefits that her users rely on, weakening one of Malama Health's key services."There is this common misperception that, 'we're in California, we're in a liberal state, and so we're safe.' And I don't think that's the case," Eddy said.For some founders of women's health startups, this election is more than a political contest; it has ramifications for their livelihoods. With so much at stake, they're planning how to handle a scenario where states or courts might impose more limits on reproductive rights.<div type="image" title="US Vice President Kamala Harris taking pictures with some young teen girls." height="3000" width="4000" msid="114460257" hostid="261" sizebytes="755478"></div><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/abortion-telemedicine-startup-hey-jane-roe-v-wade-2022-10">Hey Jane</a> is a telehealth startup that connects patients to medical providers who offer online appointments and delivers abortion pills to their doorsteps. A year after the Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade, ending the constitutional right to abortion, Hey Jane started selling birth control and treatments for urinary tract infections, yeast infections, and herpes, both oral and genital. The new products cushion the business against a "plan E" scenario of a national abortion ban, said Carli Sapir, a Hey Jane investor and founding partner of Amboy Ventures."We're thinking about how to make sure those other verticals are in a good place to continue carrying the company forward," said Sapir.This time last year, one of Hey Jane's rivals, Choix, shut down <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vcs-backing-online-abortion-sites-say-its-good-business-2021-9">after three years in service</a>. The company said in a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/choix-closes-virtual-doors-launches-130300919.html">press release</a> that "the stigma and politics surrounding abortion care posed significant fundraising challenges." It raised a $1 million seed round in 2022.While direct providers of abortion, like Hey Jane, could see major restrictions or shutdowns to their core businesses if Trump returns to the White House, a wider range of companies expect to feel the ripple effects. Startups that seem removed from the front lines, such as those involved with period tracking and fertility treatments, are also preparing for potential challenges.<div type="image" title="Then-President Donald Trump addresses the anti-abortion &quot;March for Life&quot;" height="750" width="1000" msid="114460247" hostid="261" sizebytes="53678"></div>If a national abortion ban were to occur, apps like Flo Health or Clue might face increased scrutiny, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-lux-capital-deena-shakir-wrote-childrens-book-2024-9">Deena Shakir</a>, a general partner at Lux Capital. These apps track when women have their periods and when they miss them. In today's post-Roe America, privacy experts worry that such data could be used to suggest that someone has had or is thinking about having an abortion, potentially putting women at risk of prosecution in certain states.The stakes could be equally high for companies involved with fertility treatments.The demand for services like in vitro fertilization, or IVF, and surrogacy has been climbing for years as people have kids later in life and infertility rates increase. That's birthed a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fertility-startups-booming-despite-market-downturn-2023-6">global fertility market</a> that includes companies that operate clinics to provide services like egg freezing and IVF, companies that run labs and tests, and firms that help people pay for the procedures.However, the industry's future is uncertain following attacks on abortion access. The end of Roe v. Wade opened up the legal terrain for states to interfere with access to other reproductive care, said Lauren Berson Sugarman, founder and chief executive officer of Conceive, a startup that offers personalized fertility guidance, including text support from nurses and peer groups.In Alabama, the state Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos should be considered children. That put patients and fertility clinics on edge that they could be criminally charged for destroying extra embryos. A handful of Alabama clinics paused IVF treatments while patients throughout the South began moving their embryos to jurisdictions with more stable legal protections."We see a lot of patients come to us and say, should I move my embryos out of a red state? Because what happens if they come after IVF?" said Berson Sugarman.The push for "embryo rights" could have wide-reaching repercussions for startups like Maven Clinic or Carrot Fertility, which offer fertility benefits for employers, and TMRW Life Sciences, a biotech company creating robots for the safe storage of frozen sperm, eggs, and embryos.Moreover, it could influence the type of research that startups conduct and where. Alice Zheng, a principal at women's health investor RH Capital, explains how the shifting legal landscape might affect companies like Vitra Labs. As a biotech startup working on developing eggs from stem cells for IVF, "they're doing really cutting-edge research for fertility, but they need to think very carefully about where they set up shop," Zheng said. "Some of their research might involve certain types of tissue, which is more closely scrutinized in some areas than others."<div type="image" title="TK" height="2000" width="2667" msid="114460250" hostid="261" sizebytes="243576"></div>Two years ago, in the hours after the Supreme Court ended the constitutional right to an abortion, Morrison's phone started ringing and didn't stop. Investors wanted to know if the ruling would kill Julie's launch in Walmart stores that fall. Job candidates wondered if the company would still exist in six months. Morrison's mom called, concerned for her daughter's future."For probably two weeks straight, I was just doing reassurance calls," Morrison said.While emergency contraception is not the abortion bill and is currently legal in all 50 states, it is continuously confused with the abortion pill, which can have damaging consequences. In June, the medical journal JAMA Network Open published a <a target="_blank" href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2820370?%20utm_source=For_The_Media">study</a> that found retail pharmacy fills of Plan B, a leading morning-after pill brand, fell by 65% in states with near-total abortion bans the year after the Dobbs decision, partly due to clinic closures and confusion about its legal status.That confusion could threaten Julie's sales, and puts the onus of the company to better educate consumers. It sponsors events like trivia nights and sorority house brunches. It has enlisted TikTok influencers to share videos of their drugstore hauls showing how easy it is to buy Julie. In one video, a young woman going back-to-school shopping walks off with a two-count pack of the emergency contraceptive pill. The caption reads, "double majors, not double strollers."Other startups are urging consumers to fight for reproductive rights at the polls. Eddy's Malama Health has reminders to register to vote in its app and will tell users where their nearest polling station is closer to election day. The company asks for their ZIP codes during onboarding, Eddy explained."When you have a baby, you're like, 'I want to vote, but I don't know where to go,'" Eddy said. She hopes the emails will get more pregnant women and new moms to head to the polls. Eddy added that the emails won't support a candidate and are meant as a "nonpartisan resource."<div type="image" title="TK" height="2000" width="2667" msid="114460255" hostid="261" sizebytes="192114"></div>Julie's content isn't political, either. It's not trying to change any minds about abortion rights. The goal is simply to spread awareness among young adults that emergency contraception helps prevent pregnancy, not end it. This way, Morrison said, a woman who is anti-abortion and has unprotected sex can feel confident taking Julie knowing that she isn't compromising her abortion stance.It was past 9 o'clock on a weekday, and the competition at trivia night was heating up. Students in teams of two or three screamed with delight as they watched their names climb the leaderboard. They competed to win prizes like sex toys and T-shirts with the phrase, "A Better Morning After.""Morning-after pills end pregnancy. True or false," the club president called out.Thirty seconds later, the screen showed that every team had answered correctly.Morrison pumped both fists in the air, beaming her approval.<a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/melia-russell">Melia Russell</a> is a senior correspondent at Insider covering startups and venture capital. She can be reached via the encrypted messaging app Signal at +1 603-913-3085 and email at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:mrussell@businessinsider.com">mrussell@businessinsider.com</a>.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/rebecca-torrence">Rebecca Torrence</a> is a correspondent at Business Insider writing about healthcare startups and venture capital. Send her an email at <a target="_blank" class="" href="mailto:rtorrence@businessinsider.com">rtorrence@businessinsider.com</a>.

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