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<ul class="summary-list"><li>While many tech VCs are optimistic about Trump's second term, some healthcare investors feel stuck.</li><li>They're torn between the promise of long-awaited exits and potential threats to healthcare access.</li></ul>Some healthcare-focused VCs are torn about what Donald Trump's presidential win could mean for their portfolios.Six healthcare investors expressed mixed feelings about Trump's win — largely rooted in a tension they feel between the potential for big deals to come back and policies that fear could restrict healthcare access to many patients.Trump could make sweeping changes to healthcare policy in his return to the presidency. He's said he'll let Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "go wild" on health initiatives in the new administration, which could see the former presidential candidate making good on his desires to <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/RobertKennedyJr/status/1852812012478398923">ban fluoride from public water systems</a>, "<a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/RobertKennedyJr/status/1852872924170010840">get toxins out of our food</a>," and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2024/11/06/heres-what-an-rfk-jr-health-role-in-a-trump-administration-could-look-like-vaccine-skepticism-fluoride-ban/">inject vaccine skepticism into federal decisionmaking</a>, among other initiatives.While Trump is unlikely to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/31/politics/aca-trump-repeal-affordable-care-act/index.html">try again</a> to repeal the Affordable Care Act, he may seek to boost Medicare Advantage plans, cut Medicaid spending, and <a target="_blank" href="https://spectrumnews1.com/wi/madison/news/2024/11/07/trump-rfk-fda-cdc-vaccines-fluoride">reorganize federal agencies,</a> from the Food and Drug Administration to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to an interview Kennedy Jr. gave from Trump's Florida estate shortly after the election.After a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/more-healthcare-ipos-coming-what-startups-should-know-barclays-banker-2024-10">three-year IPO desert</a> for digital health startups, healthcare investors are desperate for the exit opportunities that a second Trump presidency could usher in. But some of Trump's proposed health policy moves are making investors nervous about their potential impacts on startups building in care areas like women's health and Medicaid, as well as on doctors and patients.Compared to Trump's first term, "I think you're going to see a more systemic overhaul of the infrastructure that administers our healthcare system, and that could happen relatively quickly," said Michael Greeley, cofounder and managing partner of Flare Capital Partners. "It's the unknown of those moves that makes it really hard to make a long-term investment decision."<div type="image" title="RFK Jr. speaks at a Trump rally as Trump watches." height="683" width="1024" msid="115114971" hostid="261" sizebytes="60192"></div><h2 id="cadda1d2-41e5-4dcc-8fbd-97541af9ac1a">Healthcare exits on the horizon</h2>In the three years since 2021's healthcare funding boom — during which <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://rockhealth.com/insights/2021-year-end-digital-health-funding-seismic-shifts-beneath-the-surface/#:~:text=And%20while%20some%20of%20the,peak%20of%20eight%20in%202020.">21</a> healthcare startups went public — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/exclusive-omada-health-confidentially-filed-s1-ipo-public-2024-10">only four</a> digital health startups have gone public in total, with mixed success.A number of healthtech startups have been waiting on the sidelines for their chance to IPO — and Trump's election should boost their odds, healthcare investors told BI.The lower corporate taxes and deregulation a second Trump term could promise are already amplifying public market optimism. A number of tech and finance giants, from Tesla to JP Morgan Chase, saw their stocks soar Wednesday morning. By midday Friday, the S&amp;P 500 index had risen 3.6% from Tuesday's close.Some startups, including physical therapy startup <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hinge-health-s-1-morgan-stanley-ipo-2024-9">Hinge Health </a>and diabetes startup <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/exclusive-omada-health-confidentially-filed-s1-ipo-public-2024-10">Omada Health, have already signaled their intentions to IPO when the digital health markets reopen.</a>Several other late-stage startups are moving towards the exits, too. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mavens-cfo-out-as-womens-health-startup-gets-fresh-funding-2024-10">Maven replaced its chief financial officer</a> in October with an executive with public market experience, BI reported. Sword Health has said it's planning to IPO <a target="_blank" href="https://www.axios.com/pro/health-tech-deals/2024/06/04/sword-healths-road-to-ipo">as soon as the second half of 2025</a>.<div type="image" title="Sean Duffy Omada" height="1880" width="2507" msid="115114964" hostid="261" sizebytes="278880"></div>The healthcare M&amp;A market looks ripe for more activity. Big deals could be on the horizon, including the proposed mega-merger of health insurance rivals Cigna and Humana. Bloomberg reported in October that the insurers had <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-10-18/cigna-resumes-merger-discussions-with-humana-after-talks-ended-last-year">resumed talks of combining</a> after previously shelving the deal last December.The Cigna-Humana merger was expected to face significant antitrust scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/openness-in-ai-is-necessary-ftc-lina-khan-2024-7">led by Lina Khan</a> since 2021. She could be removed as the FTC's head early in Trump's second term — and with relaxed M&amp;A regulations, "anything is possible," said What If Ventures founder Stephen Hays.Investors said they also expect to see <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/big-deals-coming-healthcare-startups-take-privates-private-equity-2024">increased private equity involvement in healthcare</a> through more investments and acquisitions. Healthcare VC has been calling for consolidation in overcrowded areas of healthcare <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/13-mental-health-startups-ipo-acquisition-merge-buyout-2024-5">like behavioral health</a> for years. Additional interest rate cuts could help facilitate PE-backed mergers, or even rollups of multiple solutions, in the many fragmented areas of digital health and healthcare services, said a Boston-based healthcare investor.<div type="image" title="Cigna insurance" height="2672" width="3563" msid="115114973" hostid="261" sizebytes="1378900"></div><h2 id="8fd35f3b-b1b9-4ac8-ab08-0143afe9541f">Reverberations in women's health and Medicaid</h2>While healthcare investors remain optimistic about what a second Trump term could mean for late-stage startups, VCs said his win could have consequences for key areas of the industry.Reproductive rights remained a top concern throughout the election cycle. Founders of women's health companies and their investors previously expressed concerns to Business Insider about <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/womens-health-startups-risk-trump-wins-election-2024-10">what a second Trump term could mean for their businesses</a>.While Trump has said he wouldn't sign off on a national abortion ban, experts have <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/11/07/how-trumps-victory-could-change-abortion-rights-in-america.html">raised worries</a> that the president-elect could impose more restrictions on birth control access and abortion pills delivered by mail. Demand for abortion pills, emergency contraception, and related treatments <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/07/abortion-pills-hormones-trump">exploded on Wednesday</a> as patients rushed to stockpile the drugs in fear of potential restrictions.In the wake of the election, women's health investors are dismayed but hopeful that the sector will largely remain untouched by federal policy changes and that VCs will be able to use their capital to push care forward even in the face of policy threats."In our conversations with others, there is a shared resoluteness to continue to pledge investment and develop innovation in historically underfunded categories (e.g. contraception &amp; abortion access, menstruation &amp; hormonal health, maternal health &amp; fertility, menopause &amp; aging)," said Carli Sapir, the founding partner of Amboy Street Ventures, in an email to Business Insider. "Every dollar and ounce of effort toward these areas now speaks volumes for future impact."<div type="image" title="an abortion rights protest sign reading &quot;stars, stripes and reproductive rights&quot;" height="683" width="911" msid="115114963" hostid="261" sizebytes="45906"></div>Medicaid could also be targeted in Trump's second term. Experts think Trump could <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/millions-risk-losing-health-insurance-trumps-victory-rcna179146">cut Medicaid funding</a> and enable states to refuse to expand their Medicaid coverage. Those changes could impact dozens of <a target="_blank" href="https://rockhealth.com/insights/unwinding-the-opportunity-medicaids-digital-health-moment/">startups innovating in Medicaid</a>, as well as the millions of patients covered under Medicaid plans, said Jordan Nof, a cofounder and managing partner at Tusk Venture Partners.And if the House of Representatives goes red along with the Senate, experts expect the subsidies that help people pay for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/millions-risk-losing-health-insurance-trumps-victory-rcna179146">to disappear after they expire at the end of 2025</a>. Without those subsidies, tens of millions of people will see their premiums significantly increase, potentially making coverage prohibitively expensive for many.If fewer patients can afford to be insured, the healthcare system is certain to see <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/uninsured/issue-brief/key-facts-about-the-uninsured-population/#:~:text=Because%20people%20without%20health%20coverage,declines%20in%20their%20overall%20health.">rising spend</a> associated with increased hospitalizations from otherwise avoidable health problems — a consequence with far-reaching implications across healthcare and the companies building in the sector.<h2 id="f1af4c00-342b-4f1b-b392-ccfc3d9c72fa">A boon for healthcare AI and Medicare Advantage</h2>Trump's victory could have a positive impact on several big areas of healthcare investment.For one, Trump is expected to restrict the government's involvement in AI regulation. That means AI companies, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/22-most-promising-healthcare-ai-startups-2024-8">including healthcare AI companies, will keep soaring</a> with fewer guardrails.Without federal AI safety efforts, the healthcare industry will likely move to self-regulate new technologies, especially in more contentious areas like clinical decision support, Flare Capital Partners' Greeley said. Some of those efforts are already underway, including by groups like the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/future-pulse/2024/10/18/ai-self-regulation-comes-into-view-00184268">Coalition for Health AI</a>, which includes top academic medical centers like Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins Speaker alongside tech companies like Microsoft.Still, "there'll be temptations around the margins to more rapidly deploy technologies that aren't yet determined to be safe," Greeley said.<div type="image" title="Dr. Shiv Rao, CEO of Abridge" height="2268" width="3024" msid="115114962" hostid="261" sizebytes="233874"></div>Medicare Advantage plans are also expected to be boosted by a returning Trump administration that's likely to move to further incentivize commercial health insurance. That could be good for the few <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alignment-healthcare-devoted-health-startups-medicare-advantage-membership-market-2024-2">young insurers clamoring for market share in Medicare Advantage</a>, like Devoted Health and Alignment Healthcare, and the many startups working to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/exclusive-ai-cohere-health-raises-50-million-series-b-extension-2024-1">improve payment processes</a> between insurers and providers. (An increased share of Medicare Advantage plans in the Medicare market might not be good for patients, however, since Medicare Advantage plans <a target="_blank" href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2815743">deny claims more frequently</a> than traditional Medicare.)And while Robert F. Kennedy Jr's potential appointment to a key health role in the Trump administration <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/health-officials-concerned-about-rfk-jr-s-influence-in-trump-administration">worries some healthcare experts</a>, his focus on "food as medicine" could yield some interesting federal projects and perhaps add momentum to the <a target="_blank" href="https://rockhealth.com/insights/an-apple-a-day-but-keep-the-doctor-in-play-a-primer-on-food-as-medicine-trends-solutions-and-business-models/">nutrition startups gaining traction</a>, said Chrissy Farr, a managing director at Manatt, Phelps and Phillips, and a general partner at Scrub Capital."He's been given carte blanche, apparently, to take this on. Coupled with GLP-1s, I could see America really doing something interesting around food in the next couple of years," Farr said.

Healthcare investors are torn on Trump's second term

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Trump said he plans to change the Affordable Care Act, which provides healthcare for 45 million Americans.</li><li>His past actions include ACA opposition. He has flip-flopped on Medicaid and Medicare cuts.</li></ul>Donald Trump's return to the Oval Office could mean changes to Americans' healthcare coverage, based on his previous comments and actions while president.During his recent campaign, Trump promised to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-us-economy-would-look-like-with-trump-biden-presidency-2024-5">make changes to the Affordable Care Act</a>, colloquially called Obamacare, but did not give specifics."If we can come up with a plan that's going to cost our people, our population less money and be better healthcare than Obamacare, then I would absolutely do it," Trump said at the presidential debate in September.As president, he will also have the power to influence America's healthcare landscape, including insurance coverage, drug price negotiations, government <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fluoride-in-water-why-it-is-controversial-risks-benefits-2024-11">health and safety regulations</a>, and reproductive healthcare access.Trump has a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/healthcare-investors-torn-on-trump-second-term-2024-11">mixed record</a> on supporting government health insurance policies like the ACA, which the Department of Health and Human Services estimated covers 45 million people in health plans like <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/medicare-changes-increase-costs-deductibles-prescription-drugs-premiums-copays-2024-10">Medicare</a> and Medicaid. Also in the hot seat: the enhanced federal ACA subsidies, which are <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-aca-subsidies-health-insurance-affordable-care-act-congress/">set to expire</a> at the end of next year.If Trump doesn't extend the enhanced subsidies policy, which helps many low- and middle-income Americans pay for medical care, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2024-07/60523-2024-07-premium-tax-credit.pdf">nearly 4 million people </a>will lose their coverage in 2026 because they won't be able to afford it.Trump's transition team told Business Insider in a statement that he will "strongly protect" Medicare in his second term — although he has <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-cutting-medicare-social-security-benefits-2024-3">previously suggested cuts</a>. Any changes to Medicaid and Medicare under Trump could also cause those with ACA insurance see a reduction in their care options.<h2 id="69e6831b-4c89-4dd9-8ec0-501ab8666185">Medicare, Medicaid, and preexisting conditions</h2>Trump has not provided specifics about his affordable healthcare policies, beyond saying he has "concepts of a plan" at the September debate.During his first term, Trump backed a rejected Supreme Court case to overturn the Affordable Care Act, which former President Barack Obama passed in 2010 and that expanded Medicaid coverage for low-income Americans and Medicare coverage for older Americans. ACA's other marquee change required insurance companies to cover care for individuals with preexisting conditions, like asthma, heart disease, and diabetes.Yunan Ji is an assistant professor and economist at Georgetown University with an expertise in healthcare policy. She told BI that reducing or repealing ACA coverage — which Trump proposed during his first-term — could be detrimental to Americans with preexisting conditions, who may lose their coverage or have to pay more for healthcare."We purchase insurance to protect against future risk," Ji said. "If we make people go into a different risk pool when they require care for some medical condition, that defeats the purpose of insurance."Trump has also voiced support for privatizing more of the healthcare sector. This could mean some Americans on ACA plans could face higher out-of-pocket costs and fewer in-network care options.President Joe Biden's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/house-passes-inflation-reduction-act-sending-it-to-biden-2022-8">Inflation Reduction Act</a> also took steps to lower the cost of prescription drugs and cap out-of-pocket costs for Medicare beneficiaries. The legislation <a target="_blank" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/02/07/trump-medicare-price-negotiations-executive-power">requires</a> Trump to continue existing drug price negotiations through at least the end of 2025.<h2 id="1380ef19-42c4-43c1-841e-04dcb5227dd9">Reproductive and gender-affirming care</h2>Trump has said he would take steps to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/trump-vows-stop-gender-affirming-care-minors-re-elected-president-rcna68461">ban all gender-affirming healthcare and hormone therapies</a> for minors, which ACA plans cover in some states.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-project-2025-conservative-political-playbook-heritage-foundation-trump-2024-7">Project 2025</a>, a policy plan proposed by Trump allies, calls for significant national restrictions on abortion and birth control. Trump has expressed support for federal enforcement of the Hyde Amendment, a rule that prevents Medicaid from covering abortion pills and procedures. Among the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/dashboard/abortion-in-the-u-s-dashboard/">37 states and DC</a> that do not ban abortion, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/state-indicator/abortion-under-medicaid/?currentTimeframe=0&amp;sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Follows%20Federal%20Standard,%20Funding%20Only%20Cases%20Involving%20Life%20Endangerment,%20Rape%20and%20Incest%22,%22sort%22:%22desc%22%7D">17 states and DC</a> currently follow the Hyde Amendment.Trump has called for federally-subsidized in-vitro fertilization — a proposal that is divisive among Republicans.<h2 id="f6dc24d6-1b01-41c0-99ba-9603db98ef3f">Insurance regulations and national health policy</h2>Ji said that Americans often focus on the sticker price of premiums in their healthcare plan — how much they are expected to pay out-of-pocket each month or year. But a Trump presidency would also shape rules and regulations for insurance companies. For example, companies are required to cover a wide range of providers, so someone with heart disease can find an in-network cardiologist in their area.Ji added that Trump's cabinet appointments will give insight into his second-term healthcare priorities. His leadership selections will determine federal investment in medical research, health and safety guidelines, insurance company regulations, and vaccines. Trump is expected to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/trump-banning-vaccines-president-rfk-fluoride-rcna178570">discourage vaccinations</a> and limit federal health and insurance regulations.Trump tapped <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-robert-f-kennedy-jr-rfk-department-health-human-services-2024-11">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a> on November 14 to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, a decision that will require Senate approval. Kennedy has not outlined specific plans to increase healthcare affordability, but he would have some influence over the ACA in the role. The former presidential candidate is a vaccine-skeptic, who Trump hopes will "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-rfk-jr-plans-to-make-america-healthy-again-2024-11">go wild</a>" on health, safety, and food protocols.Any major changes to healthcare policy and federal budgets would need to be approved by Congress. Trump will likely have the support of a Republican-led Senate and House."The American people re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail," Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump-Vance transition team, told BI in a statement. "He will deliver."Are you doing anything to prepare your finances or healthcare plan for Trump's second term? If so, please reach out to this reporter at <a target="_blank" class="" href="mailto:allisonkelly@businessinsider.com">allisonkelly@businessinsider.com</a>.

Trump's plans to change healthcare could slash insurance for some low-income Americans and retirees

New Delhi [India], July 11 (ANI): <keyword id="21467964" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indegene" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Indegene" meta.hostid="266" meta.entityid="Indegene">Indegene</keyword> partnered with <keyword id="19895622" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Microsoft" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Microsoft" meta.hostid="266" meta.entityid="Microsoft">Microsoft</keyword> on Thursday to leverage <keyword id="19896272" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Generative-AI" source="keywords">generative AI</keyword> for the <keyword id="21988347" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="medical-industry" source="keywords">medical industry</keyword>, the company informed the exchange in a filing. The partnership aims to help empower global <keyword id="19992819" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="life-sciences" source="keywords">life sciences</keyword> companies to scale up the adoption of enterprise-grade Generative <keyword id="6355999" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AI" source="Orion">AI</keyword> (GenAI) services, driving faster innovation. Indegene provides digitally enabled commercialization services for the life sciences sector, emerging biotech, and medical device firms. "GenAI presents a once-in-a-decade opportunity for life sciences companies to modernize business processes and reimagine the effectiveness and efficiency of their operations throughout the value chain. Using GenAI, we're closely working with many of our clients to solve specific business problems, with nearly 50 real-world use cases already in an advanced pilot stage", said Tarun Mathur, CTO, of Indegene. Both companies have committed to developing resources in highly specialized medical and technology tools to co-innovate generative <keyword id="20411515" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AI-services" source="keywords">AI services</keyword> and workflows across commercial, medical, regulatory, and clinical functions. "With a focus on the right use cases, a responsible and compliant approach to scaling up, and shared learnings, we put generative AI to work for our clients", added Tarun. Under the agreement, one of the key initiatives is the Content Super App, which uses Azure OpenAI Service. This modular content value chain simplifies content creation and tagging for life sciences companies, offering a comprehensive view of the content process. It enhances content creation speed, personalizes content, and introduces new conversation formats. Additionally, it streamlines creative and video transformation, effectively engaging healthcare professionals, patients, and payers. Generative AI capabilities are also revolutionizing the medical content value chain. Indegene's solutions accelerate the authoring of key documents like Clinical Study Reports (CSRs) and Protocols by sourcing content from relevant literature. This ensures compliance across clinical and regulatory domains. "Generative AI is profoundly shaping every industry, including life sciences, by offering unprecedented avenues for <keyword id="21146848" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="healthcare-technology" source="keywords">healthcare technology</keyword> advancements. According to a Microsoft-commissioned study conducted by IDCi, a staggering 79 per cent of healthcare organizations have now embraced AI. This demonstrates that the tangible business value of this transformation is indisputable" said Alok Lall, Chief Operating Officer, Microsoft India &amp; South Asia. In terms of data management and analytics for clinical trials, Indegene's solutions, using Microsoft Fabric, enhance data ingestion and refinement processes. It also facilitates effortless reporting and ensures governance. The company added that the agreement results in proficient analytics, compliance adherence, and agility in business operations, providing a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Indegene ties up with Microsoft to leverage generative AI for the Medical Industry, drive faster innovation

<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.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>I've lived in Canada for over a decade, and though it's not perfect, I prefer it to the US.</li><li>I've had major surgery and dealt with long COVID for years and haven't paid a cent for healthcare.</li></ul>When my partner was offered a job in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-toronto-best-city-quick-trip-things-to-do-skip-2024-10">Toronto</a> 13 years ago, we felt like we'd won the lottery.We were living in the Midwest, where people stared at us as if they'd never seen a multiracial couple before and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cosmopolitan-jessica-pels-career-advice-how-to-get-dream-job-2020-4">Cosmopolitan magazine</a> was covered with black plastic in the supermarket because it was too racy.We'd long wanted to live somewhere more diverse and walkable, with less violence. Settling in downtown Toronto — where we could walk or take <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/canada-via-rail-vs-amtrak-business-class-review-photos-2022-8">public transportation</a> and over half of the population was born outside Canada — was like being in a smaller, cleaner version of New York City.Add on the promise of Canadian healthcare, and we were close to nirvana.After living for more than a decade in Canada, we've come to realize that the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moving-to-canada-from-us-pros-cons-heathcare-home-prices">country is far from perfect</a>. But there are many factors that make it unimaginable for me to live in the US again.<h2 id="a284571f-bca4-4fba-a6f4-d7f8b2efefe7">Canada's healthcare system isn't perfect, but I prefer it to the US's</h2>Canadian healthcare has its downsides.While the majority of care is free, people typically have to pay out of pocket for prescriptions, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-americans-dont-exercise-mental-health-crisis-depression-anxiety-fitness-2024-6">mental-health</a> care, and dental and vision care, which can make these services inaccessible to many.Despite that, I can't envision living without <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dr-adam-kay-americas-been-gaslit-about-socialized-medicine-2019-12">socialized medicine</a> again. I had a complicated pregnancy and an emergency C-section and I developed long COVID four years ago, but I've never paid a cent for healthcare here.When I lived in the US, I worked in public health in California, helping uninsured families access care. I saw firsthand <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-get-medical-bills-reduced-negotiate-challenge-payment-plan-2024-9">how medical debt could ruin people</a>.There was also a brief time when I was in my 20s, before the Affordable Care Act, when I <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-millennials-giving-up-medical-care-cant-afford-costs-2024-2">lived without health insurance</a> in California and was terrified of getting injured and ending up with a huge hospital bill.<h2 id="82b9efcc-e263-4015-b997-fc1d979a471a">Traveling in Canada can be more expensive, but we've found ways to manage</h2><div type="image" title="landscape of Canada's Laurentian Mountains" height="3840" width="5760" msid="115259769" hostid="261" sizebytes="1759662"></div>Because of <a target="_blank" href="https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/airlines-fees-canada">federal regulations</a>, domestic flights in Canada are often more expensive than flights to the US. However, we've found ways to manage by coordinating work trips and visiting friends.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/beautiful-natural-wonders-2018-7">Canada's nature</a> is one of our favorite aspects of living here. We've vacationed across the country, but we have a special fondness for Québec's Laurentian Mountains and the forests of Ontario.We also spent months in the Yukon subarctic, where we glimpsed a grizzly bear, lynx, moose, scores of ravens, and wilderness more pristine than I thought possible.<h2 id="001263da-7c4c-4498-aabe-c1e9c7dbf46c">We love the diversity in Toronto, but we have experienced racism</h2>My husband and I found friends through community groups and parent-and-baby classes with other immigrant parents. Our friends are from all over, including Nigeria, Russia, Pakistan, Mexico, China, and Peru.Living in such a global environment is simply second nature for our Canadian-born child, who became trilingual in kindergarten in a public French school.However, immigrants and people of color aren't always treated kindly, despite Canada having had an official <a target="_blank" href="http://pier21.ca/research/immigration-history/canadian-multiculturalism-policy-1971">multiculturalism policy</a> since 1971.My Afro-Latino partner often laments the racism he's experienced in Canada, which has been more directly harmful to him than the racism he experienced in the United States.For example, he sold his bike after nearly being hit by drivers so many times, including one who told him to get off the road before calling him the N-word.When he does porch drop-offs of kids' items I've sold on Marketplace, he gets followed and questioned by people who act like he's a thief.And when we renewed his employer-sponsored work permit at the border a decade ago, an immigration official grilled him and said, "Couldn't they find a Canadian for the job?"In part because of those experiences, my husband has felt compelled to connect even more with different BIPOC communities in Canada.After we moved here, he found out about his Indigenous Caribbean ancestry through genetic testing, and it has become an extremely important part of our experience as a family to educate ourselves about Indigenous people's histories, lives, and teachings. We see it as one of our responsibilities as settlers.<h2 id="859b0674-9e41-4b48-abbc-f3eccee0cca8">I prefer living in Canada to the United States</h2><div type="image" title="Canadian flag with Toronto skyline in the background" height="3744" width="5616" msid="115259767" hostid="261" sizebytes="940328"></div>The longer I live here, the less I feel like I belong when I travel back to the US.My family inhabits multiple marginalized identities — queer, <a target="_blank" href="https://economichardship.org/2023/04/the-disabled-tax-means-i-pay-extra-for-necessities-constantly/">disabled</a>, immigrant, and BIPOC — that are under attack in the US. The ability to live and thrive outside the US, with free healthcare to boot, has long made me feel survivor's guilt for enjoying that stability.There are trade-offs to Canadian life: <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/canada-housing-crisis-bubble-imploding-real-estate-prices-rent-decline-2023-11">Astronomical housing costs</a> caused by foreign investment and government policy make me worry that when my child is an adult, they won't be able to afford rent, much less buy a home.I'm also disabled and cannot work full time. If I'm ever without my partner's financial support, I wouldn't qualify for or be able to live on my province's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tvo.org/article/people-cant-live-on-dirt-disabled-ontarians-push-for-odsp-reform">paltry disability benefits</a>.In the end, it's a balancing act.I will forever follow events in American society and politics, even when I someday become a Canadian citizen. But for my family's safety and health, there's no going back.

My husband and I moved from the US to Canada 13 years ago. We love the free healthcare here and the great friends we made.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The healthcare market looks nearly ready for the next wave of IPOs.</li><li>Barclays' Jon Swope says IPO hopefuls should prepare by increasing the awareness of their companies.</li></ul>It's been a rough few years for healthcare initial public offerings. But the next wave of public healthcare companies looks to be on the horizon.At least two healthcare companies are considering public-market debuts in the not-so-distant future. The diabetes startup <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/exclusive-omada-health-confidentially-filed-s1-ipo-public-2024-10">Omada Health confidentially filed its S-1 this summer</a>. And the physical-therapy startup <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hinge-health-s-1-morgan-stanley-ipo-2024-9">Hinge Health has hired banks including Barclays</a> as it prepares to file its S-1 confidentially.Hinge and Omada likely aren't the only healthcare companies <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/healthcare-startups-ipo-public-markets-reopens-2024-1">weighing an IPO as market conditions improve</a>.Jon Swope, a managing director in Barclays' healthtech division, told me he expects a pickup in healthcare IPOs in 2025 after a three-year drought.<div type="image" title="A headshot of Jon Swope." height="1200" width="846" msid="114356715" hostid="261" sizebytes="24914"></div>I spoke with him about what the next wave of healthcare IPOs could bring — and which healthcare startups are in the best position to test the public markets.The following has been edited for clarity and length.In the past few years there have been a number of take-privates and near-delistings in healthcare, as well as plenty of healthcare companies that have otherwise struggled in the public markets. What can we learn from those companies' challenges, and how might they impact the next round of healthcare IPOs?The whipsaw of the public markets over the last five years has created a challenging backdrop, even with the overall market improving.From 2019 through 2021, nearly 20 companies went public through IPOs or SPACs in healthtech. At its peak, the total market cap for healthtech and digital health was over $300 billion. Through both take-privates and declines in share prices, that's down to just about $90 billion.Large take-privates like Change Healthcare, Nuance, Cerner, Inovalon, and others are part of the story. The other part is that, on average, the companies that went public or were already public are down by about 80% — names like Teladoc, Accolade, and Health Catalyst.The enthusiasm that supported the last wave, with respect to the positive and innovative business models in healthtech and digital health, is not gone. It's just that these companies haven't been able to achieve growth with profitability. When there's a next set, there's going to be more of a focus on growth and profitability.You see that in the IPOs that happened this year: Waystar and Tempus. Waystar is large-scale, profitable, with growth, and Tempus has the promise of AI, high growth, and emerging profitability. Both have performed since their public debut.In the private sphere, many investors have leaned away from healthcare services and into healthcare AI. What models do you expect the healthcare market to favor in this next round of IPOs?There are three general categories that are investible in healthtech and digital healthcare. One is simply data and then technology and healthcare. Healthcare is arguably two decades behind every other industry in the adoption of technology. Whether it's software, tech-enabled models, or, importantly, the data opportunity and AI opportunity, tech and data infrastructure for healthcare is No. 1.No. 2 is consumer-centric models, such as some B2B2C models, the employer and payer digital-health models, or even direct-to-consumer models. Look at <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-hims-founders-journey-to-go-public-via-spac-2021-1">the performance of Hims</a>, which has emerged from its post-SPAC purgatory.Consumer-centric healthcare is the future of healthcare, and it's becoming more of our collective reality. The companies with consumer-centric business models that deliver longitudinal engagement and outcomes, financial and clinical, for consumers and the payers of healthcare, both employers and insurance companies, are certainly on the list.No. 3 is value-based care. Much has been made of that as a category, tying together costs and outcomes. And while some of the brick-and-mortar value-based care companies have had their own challenges, support for the adoption of value-based care by providers will continue to be where healthcare is going.Are there models in healthcare that you think are perhaps not the best fit for the public markets right now?The less complex the elevator pitch, the better. While I can't say there's a model that's not a fit, what we heard from investors as things were bending in the wrong direction last boom cycle was: "Wait, what did I just buy? I'm not sure I fully understand this company's business model."Now you have to juxtapose that against the reality of healthcare, which is complex. So it's companies that can articulate a clear and simple story while also navigating the layers of the healthcare ecosystem in executing on their business model.That includes riding the existing rails. In the last five-plus years we've seen companies figuring out how to work with the payers and providers that make up the healthcare ecosystem to bring innovation and disruption to how we experience healthcare.Given the major slowdown in SPAC deals in the past few years and Nuvo's poor performance (<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-08-22/newly-public-pregnancy-care-firm-nuvo-files-for-bankruptcy">and bankruptcy</a>) this year, could we see more SPAC deals for healthcare startups next year?It's a four-letter word for the foreseeable future. I imagine there will be SPACs created, and there are still others that haven't run out of time, but it's unlikely that we see companies using that vehicle that could go public the regular way.For startups that don't go public, will we see M&amp;A pick up in 2025? With large retailers like Walmart pulling away from healthcare, who are the potential buyers?M&amp;A is picking up already, as evidenced by volume this year, and it will continue to, particularly in an easing financing environment and macro backdrop where bid-ask spreads are narrowing.The consolidation activity is in three categories. First, there are the large-cap consolidators including retailers, payers, and Big Tech. There will be deals there, but there are only so many that will be done by that group, which is not much more than a dozen companies.The next is large-cap, and often private-equity-backed, healthtech consolidators. A number of them are private and will continue to be buyers.The third category is just smaller mergers of equals. Especially for enterprise sales, selling into payers or selling to providers, scale matters, and so size matters. We'll see small companies merge with other small companies to get there.Anything else startups should know that might impact this next cycle of IPOs?While these companies that went public in the last cycle may not have fulfilled their promises, they set the stage for an attractive IPO market by going public the right way — executing on the business and growing it, and increasing awareness around the company well in advance of an IPO.At the back end of the last boom wave there was a rush to go public, and SPACs were examples of that. I think that in the 2025, 2026, and 2027 IPO classes, there will be a number of companies that think about it the right way, not rushing to get to the public market.

2025 could bring a wave of healthcare IPOs. Here's what startups should know, according to a top banker.

Ashlee Wisdom left a toxic workplace environment after developing chronic hives.At the time, Wisdom was also getting her master's in public health at New York University, where she was learning about how social and political factors can affect specific groups' health.These experiences led her to build Health In Her HUE, a digital health platform that connects women of color to medical providers committed to serving their health needs."I had my own experience of seeing how racism impacts your health, and I saw all of this innovation happening in healthcare, but I didn't see anyone at that time building anything that addressed the specific pain points that Black women and women of color tend to have when they are navigating the healthcare system," Wisdom told Business Insider.Health In Her HUE is part of a surge in femtech, or technology companies that aim to support women's health and wellness. A report published last year by a consulting company called FemHealth Insights found that the sector was rapidly growing, with over 60% of femtech companies founded from 2017 to 2022.Historically, women's healthcare has been impaired by challenges like bias and a lack of specialized providers. But femtech offers a new way forward — one where connecting with a doctor doesn't require an in-person appointment and female founders are creating digital spaces that mirror the care they want to receive.<h2>Connectivity to close the women's health gap</h2>Increased access to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/5g-advanced-standalone-6g-qualcomm-huawei-mwc-2024-3">high-speed internet</a>, the expansion of telemedicine, and demand for women-centric healthcare are some factors behind the recent support for femtech platforms and apps."In 2020, because we were left with no alternative, there was a massive increase in online services, which created a culture shift for providers and clients," said Smisha Agarwal, the executive director of the Center for Global Digital Health Innovation at Johns Hopkins University.As a result, the US healthcare sector became less resistant to remote tools like <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/teledermatology-future-of-skincare-musely-ceo-jack-jia-2024-6">telehealth</a> and medical apps, and patients realized they enjoyed the relative privacy of talking with a provider in their home rather than at a clinic. "These tools can change the power dynamic in a clinical relationship," Agarwal said.Health In Her HUE says nearly 14,000 women have accounts and use the website to access medical information tailored specifically to women of color; virtual peer-support groups; and medical professionals who deliver healthcare in a way that meets patients' social, cultural, and linguistic needs.Black women often confront <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/women-crossing-state-lines-give-birth-black-maternal-mortality-crisis-2023-9">greater difficulties</a> in accessing affordable and quality healthcare, are <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8020496/">disproportionately burdened</a> by chronic conditions, and are more likely to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-doctors-and-community-groups-are-promoting-health-equity-2023-11">experience discrimination</a> in medical settings. "I wanted to build a platform that helps Black women, and women of color more broadly, navigate healthcare and a system that is too often precarious for us," Wisdom said.<div type="image" title="A headshot of Ashlee Wisdom on a tan background." height="810" width="1080" msid="113135183" hostid="261" sizebytes="46492"></div>Through the platform, users can look up providers by the insurance they take, their specialties, and their ZIP code, and then meet with them in person or virtually, depending on the provider.In the beginning, Wisdom reached out to providers who seemed aligned with her mission and asked if they would participate in the project. Now providers looking to join can make an account, and once they commit to the company's health-equity pledge, they're added to the directory.Wisdom said one Health In Her HUE user who felt that other doctors had ignored her symptoms got a diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome after meeting with a Health In Her HUE provider. Another told Wisdom that she drove three hours to meet with a gastroenterologist she found in the directory; she felt that "if a Black GI doctor saw her, they would take her symptoms more seriously," Wisdom said.For years, healthcare systems weren't <a target="_blank" href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/01/women-health-gap-davos-2023/">designed for women</a>, and there are still gaps in research and treatments for women's health issues. A study published in the Journal of Women's Health in 2021 found that funding from the US National Institutes of Health was <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/jwh.2020.8682">more likely to go toward conditions</a> that primarily affect men and less likely to go toward conditions that disproportionately affect women, like migraines and endometriosis.With this reality in mind, Joanna Strober cofounded Midi Health, a website designed to help people experiencing menopause and perimenopause access specialists. Described as a virtual care clinic, Midi Health allows people to make telehealth appointments with licensed nurse practitioners and doctors specializing in women's midlife health. Strober told BI she started the company after encountering barriers to finding menopause care."I also realized that the only way to scale this and give access to all women was to do it virtually," Strober said. "It's about connecting women to excellent care regardless of where they live."During a virtual appointment, patients can discuss perimenopause and menopause symptoms like hot flashes and brain fog. Interventions can range from lifestyle coaching to prescription medication, and Midi providers can refer patients to in-person treatments when needed. Some insurance plans cover care if the providers are in-network with PPO plans. Strober is focused on scaling insurance coverage so more women can use Midi.Strober said that as of August, about 100,000 women had used Midi in 2024. Most are between 40 and 50, and the average age is 46."It's growing really fast, and women are coming to us in increasing numbers for more issues than we originally expected," Strober said. She added that while Midi isn't intended to be a primary-care clinic, users' interest in speaking with providers about more than hormonal health demonstrates that "there are just not enough providers who are trained in women-centered care."Strober attributed an increased desire for digital platforms like Midi to improvements in telehealth technology and to women's demands for better care. The relative ease of virtual appointments is also a benefit.<h2>Investing in solutions</h2>A report by Silicon Valley Bank published last year said <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.svb.com/trends-insights/reports/womens-health-report/">venture-capital funding for women's health companies</a> had surged by 314% since 2018.But Strober believes that the industry has just taken off and that founders must convince investors that more money can be made. Midi Health is on its way toward doing that; the company closed a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/midi-health-raising-series-b-menopause-2024-1">$60 million Series B round</a> in April.Agarwal said that as more companies enter the healthcare industry, they'll need to consider patient needs beyond health, such as <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/most-hospitals-dont-have-policies-for-new-ai-tech-survey-2024-2">privacy</a>. She argued that minimizing data collection and communicating about data use are imperative."Digital solutions do not replace in-person services, but they are a brilliant addition to in-person care," Agarwal added.Wisdom acknowledged that virtual care isn't a cure-all and told BI that while Health In Her HUE's main goal is connecting women of color to culturally responsive clinicians, she hopes for a future where all providers offer that level of care."We don't want Black patients always to feel like they need to be seen by a Black healthcare provider," Wisdom said. "They should feel comfortable and confident knowing that any provider they engage with can provide them with high-quality care."But for now, Wisdom said, virtual care can be a path toward accessibility. Health In Her HUE raised <a target="_blank" href="https://techcrunch.com/2024/01/08/health-in-her-hue-closes-3-million-seed-round/">$3 million in a seed round</a> in January, and Wisdom and her team are hopeful about features they can build to create a space where users know they're getting accurate information from medical providers who understand their experiences. Wisdom and her team plan to create an app and possibly partner with a telehealth company to offer virtual appointments."It feels good to build a solution that's useful for my community," Wisdom said. "I'm glad my energy is being used for a mission that deeply resonates with me."

Women face bias and disparities in healthcare. Digital tools could help meet their needs.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Medical care costs, as well as day care and preschool prices, have climbed a lot since 2000.</li><li>Healthcare and childcare will likely continue to be pricey, affecting people's savings and income.</li></ul>Any American who's taking care of young kids or older parents knows that childcare and healthcare are too expensive. And even while <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inflation-consumer-price-index-in-july-fed-interest-rates-2024-8">inflation</a> more broadly cools, it's unlikely that the care industry is going to get more affordable anytime soon.Bryan Jamele, Care.com's head of government affairs and public policy, told Business Insider that US childcare costs "have been skyrocketing, and they're depleting the household incomes of families."A <a target="_blank" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=a5547ac3f05e29175b4905007fd96bc3350a8e4da3423881286d18917d091262&amp;postID=66be575c7d61a86c18699e4b&amp;postSlug=healthcare-childcare-expensive-costs-wage-growth-employment-ai-risks-2024-8&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.care.com%2Fc%2Fhow-much-does-child-care-cost%2F">report</a> from Care.com said 35% of respondents in a 2023 survey of US adults said they dipped into their savings for care. Jamele pointed out how <a target="_blank" href="https://kpmg.com/us/en/articles/2024/may-2024-childcare-crisis-state-work-america.html">childcare prices have surged more than inflation</a> over the last several decades.Healthcare is also expensive and has seen prices climb faster than overall inflation."We know that our members make trade-off decisions if healthcare costs are too high," Pat Geraghty, CEO of insurance company GuideWell, told BI. "So, some of the very basic needs in their life may get traded out because healthcare expenses are too high, which is why the focus needs to be on how to make healthcare affordable."It's hard to picture healthcare and childcare costs dramatically coming down anytime soon because so much of care work is labor-intensive. People are needed to care for children at day care centers, aging family members at assisted living and similar places, or patients at hospitals, and it's unlikely those tasks will be automated and handed over to robots or AI anytime soon.The high care costs affect the people shelling out their money for these services and the workers who hope for higher pay. "We cannot raise wages because we cannot charge families more," Allyx Schiavone, the executive director of the Friends Center for Children, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/providers-struggle-to-keep-funding-rising-childcare-costs-2023-9">previously told BI</a>.<h2 id="bc3b4457-4dd0-4353-ac13-8dfbdc0f6c4d">Why childcare and healthcare costs have surged and could continue to be pricey</h2>Childcare and healthcare costs have soared since the turn of the century, while televisions and wireless phone services have plunged."Since 2000, the cost of TVs, the cost of toys, the cost of cellphone service, the cost of software — those have all fallen a lot either because of automation, in the case of manufacturing TVs and toys, or because of scalability because of these natural monopolies and these very high fixed costs but tiny marginal costs," Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter, told BI. "So, you have a lot of technologies like software and cellphone service that scale and allow companies to charge less and less over time."Meanwhile, Pollak said, "the cost of services that cannot be automated" and scaled have been labor intensive and have seen prices skyrocket. That would include some costs related to healthcare and childcare. Pollak said, "Hospital services, medical care, childcare — the cost of all those have grown dramatically."Pollak said artificial intelligence will probably lessen the costs for tech and other services but likely won't be the case for healthcare and childcare. Still, there are ways AI can help lessen care costs. Geraghty pointed out, for instance, AI tools in radiology detecting disease earlier.Childcare and healthcare have also seen <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/teacher-shortage-schools-nurses-daycare-costs-inflation-rate-retail-workers-2023-10">labor shortages</a>, and while <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-helping-health-insurers-doctors-with-administrative-tasks-2023-9">AI and automation could be helpful in these sectors</a>, there likely still will be demand for new workers. For instance, childcare providers are typically required to have a minimum ratio of caregiving staff to children under their supervision. Some healthcare jobs could be at risk from AI, but as the population ages, healthcare will need people in care and other jobs.It's not just about whether things can be done with the help of automation that's affecting costs."We see things happening in the healthcare sector like private equity coming in and buying physician offices," Geraghty said. "When they do that, they want a return, and their desire to get a return pushes the cost of healthcare up."Additionally, Pollak said the widening of remote work outside healthcare and childcare could mean the costs for these two types of care increase. "In order to compete, those on-site employers in day care services and hospitals need to pay workers more to veer them away from jobs that are more flexible," Pollak said.The problem is how to do exactly that while also being able to pay operating costs. Jamele said it's expensive to run childcare centers, including to have a certain number of people working and trying to offer competitive pay. "I've heard anecdotally as well that a lot of these childcare workers are leaving," he said. "Other jobs in retail are paying more in some cases in some states."<h2 id="556cb6bd-eaeb-4e72-acfe-162e0c2ca5a0">Wages and prices</h2>"Inflationary pressure on wages over the past two (2) years has driven the cost of healthcare and childcare higher," Scott Hamilton, Gallagher's global chairman of human resources and compensation consulting, said in a written statement. "These increased costs are both being passed on through increases in health insurance premiums to employers as well as higher prices of daycare and after-school care for employees."Even in just a year, childcare costs have increased on average. Care.com's <a target="_blank" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=a5547ac3f05e29175b4905007fd96bc3350a8e4da3423881286d18917d091262&amp;postID=66be575c7d61a86c18699e4b&amp;postSlug=healthcare-childcare-expensive-costs-wage-growth-employment-ai-risks-2024-8&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.care.com%2Fc%2Fhow-much-does-child-care-cost%2F">2024 Cost of Care Report</a> shows that average day care costs have surged for an infant — from $284 a week in 2022 to $321 in 2023.Workers in the childcare services sector are seeing higher earnings than the same month a year prior, just like workers in healthcare. These two sectors have seen wage growth outpace inflation. While the consumer price index rose 3.0% year over year in June, average hourly earnings rose 5.2% for the childcare services sector and 3.6% for the healthcare sector.Despite that robust wage growth in childcare, average hourly earnings for this sector are low compared to the overall figure for private employees — $20.87 an hour for childcare services in June compared to $34.99 for total private employees. The healthcare sector's average in June was $37.57.Jamele said the US childcare system should be reimagined, including modernizing and enhancing tax programs for families so that the programs "meet the economic realities of families in 2024.""We also need to take a hard look at supporting the caregiving workforce as well and addressing some of those issues on that end of the spectrum, if you will, because they really are the foundational crack in the childcare delivery system," Jamele said. "If you don't have the workers or enough of the workers and they're not professionalized in such a way to meet that demand, then you can change childcare policy all you want, but you're going to still have a major deficit if you don't have the workers to employ that."

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