Health Highlights: Oct. 30, 2008

Oct. 31 -- Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

Women Pay More for Health Insurance: Report

American women pay much more -- sometimes hundreds of dollars per year -- than men of the same age for individual health insurance, according to data from insurance companies and online brokers.

Insurers said they charge women higher premiums because women, ages 19 to 55, tend to incur more health-care costs, especially in childbearing years, than men, The New York Times reported. Women are more likely to visit doctors, get regular checkups, to take prescription medications, and to have certain chronic conditions, the report said.

But the differences in women's and men's premiums have raised concerns among some groups, and members of Congress have started to question insurers' justifications.

"The wide variation in premiums could not possibly be justified by actuarial principles. We should not tolerate women having to pay more for health insurance, just as we do not tolerate the practice of using race as a factor in setting rates," said Marcia D. Greenberger, co-president of the National Women's Law Center, the Times reported.

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Vehicle-Animal Crash Deaths Rising

In the last 15 years, the number of people killed each year in vehicle crashes with deer and other animals has more than doubled -- from 101 in 1993 to 223 in 2007, according to a study by the U.S. Highway Loss Data Institute.

Since 1993, Texas has recorded the most deaths (227) from vehicle-animal crashes, followed by Wisconsin (123) and Pennsylvania (112), the Associated Press reported.

The rising death toll is due to urban sprawl into deer habitat, the study said.

"Urban sprawl means suburbia and deer habitat intersect in many parts of the country," said Kim Hazelbaker, the institute's senior vice president. "If you're driving in areas where deer are prevalent, the caution flag is out, especially in November."

Insurance claims for crashes with animals are three times higher in November than from January to September, the study said. Fall is breeding season.