Friday, September 10, 2004

Health Premiums Continue to Outpace Inflation
See Reuters Health story at Medscape - "The rate of increase in health insurance premiums slowed slightly in 2004, according to a new survey, but health costs continue to rise five times faster than worker wages or general inflation. Consumers are also paying a larger share of their own health bills, as employers pass costs along, found the survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research and Educational Trust. Since 2000, the average worker's monthly premium has risen from $28 to $47, and the contribution for family coverage has risen from $135 to $222." See also Employer Health Benefits 2004 Annual Survey at the Kaiser Family Foundation web site.  
  

FDA Resisting Antidepressant Probe-Lawmakers
Reuters story at Yahoo - "Republican lawmakers on Thursday charged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration with hindering a congressional probe into whether the agency suppressed a possible link between antidepressant use and suicidal behavior in youth. Rep. Joe Barton, chairman of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, said the FDA has been uncooperative during the committee's seven-month inquiry..."  
  

More global deaths through suicide than war and murder
AFP story at Yahoo - "Almost one million people kill themselves each year and the number, which exceeds the death toll from murder and war, may hit 1.5 million by 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said. But suicide is largely preventable, through better surveillance of favourite methods -- namely pesticides, guns and painkillers -- and a greater focus on support groups, the UN's health agency said. In a bid to raise awareness on the issue, WHO and the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) will hold their second annual World Suicide Prevention Day on Friday." See also the web site of the International Association for Suicide Prevention, the WHO resources on suicide and on suicide prevention, and the country-by-country charts and reports.  
  

Suicide-prevention bill goes to president
Statesman-Journal story - "Congress approved a youth suicide prevention bill Thursday by U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith, giving the Oregon lawmaker a tribute to the son who took his own life a year ago. Smith, a Republican from Pendleton, said he hoped that the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act would provide a lifeline to other young people at risk for suicide. ... The legislation authorizes but does not guarantee $82 million over three years for grants to state and tribal governments to develop or improve mental-health programs, referral services and suicide-education and training programs. Colleges and universities also could compete for grants for mental-health-screening programs. The bill also establishes a clearinghouse for information about suicide and about effective suicide-prevention efforts."