After an amazing week full of culture and adventure, I am back home. My trip to Glasgow has been an exceptional experience that I will remember the rest of my life! In just one week, I feel proficient in the country and culture. Although there is so much that I could say, a picture is worth a thousand words, and so I will present my concluding thoughts in the form of a timeline.
When I first started off, I was extremely excited, yet at the same time nervous. There was no way for me, no matter how much I Googled it, to know what to expect while in Glasgow. Before we set off, I made sure to go into the trip with an open mind and try my best to benefit the most out of this week.
Getting comfortable at Heathrow after missing our flight
After missing a flight, we finally made it to Glasgow where we were warmly welcomed by the hosting committee (Shona, Nabila, and Jack) as well as Julie, the community leader. This group, along with Nicky and Ashley, stayed with us throughout the entire week and truly made sure that we were comfortable settling into the city! Without them, the trip would not have been as successful. With their guide, we toured the cities, attended their classes, and learned their culture.
Group picture after having attending a lab in GCU.
The professor and lab instructors were very welcoming, trying their best to make sure that we understood the concepts and techniques that were used in lab. Another interesting fact, is that the lab coats are strictly enforced (which was kind of cool to wear), made us all look really professional!
Outside of the classroom lectures and labs, we made sure to keep ourselves busy exploring all parts of Glasgow. We rode of a city bus and toured around with the hosting team, to further explore some sites.
Group outside Riverside Museum, a leading museum in Glasgow.
Iconic statue of Man with a cone on his head.
An interesting fact about this statue is that every night, the cone is removed from the top of this statue but during the night, there is someone who would put another cone back on, making sure that the cone is back on in the morning!
Princes Square, a grand shopping mall only 5 minutes away from our hotel.
By the end of the week, it was sad to have to say goodbye. The people and the city itself was so good to us! There was so much that we did and so many places that we saw. My one week trip to Scotland was a once in a lifetime experience and I just want to give a huge thank you to everyone who supported and made this trip possible!!!
June 24, 2024 at 6:15 pm
The year 2023 marks the tenth year of operation for the US health insurance exchanges since they launched as part of the Affordable Care Act in 2014. The individual market has remained fluid during this time, with insurer participation, pricing, and plans changing from year to year.
Average annual health insurance premiums are $8,435 for single coverage and $23,968 for family coverage. These average premiums each increased 7% in 2023. The average family premium has increased 22% since 2018 and 47% since 2013.
More than 3.6 mn new consumers entering the health insurance market are choosing among an average of 88 plans.
McKinsey collected and analyzed data from every health insurance exchange in the country across the 33 marketplaces on the federal platform and the 18 state-based marketplaces at the county level.
Heading into the 2023 open enrollment period, consumer participation increased to more than 16 mn in 2022. Approximately 42% of members were enrolled with Blues in 2022, down 18 percentage points from their high in 2014. Insurtechs enrolled 14% of members, a 12-percentage-point increase since 2019.
September 28, 2024 at 1:59 am
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