Health Highlights: June 18, 2009
June 19 -- Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:
Food Safety Bill Clears House Committee
Legislation to increase the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's funding and powers to regulate food safety was approved Wednesday by the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Under the bill, the agency would be given the authority to order food recalls, impose new civil penalties and make food companies adhere to food safety standards. In addition, the bill would oblige the FDA to inspect high-risk food facilities at least once a year and would require food makers to keep detailed records to enable quicker tracking of tainted foods, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Funding for the measure would come from an annual $500 registration fee paid by about 378,000 domestic and foreign food facilities. Farms that raise meat and poultry and other facilities regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture would be exempt.
A House vote on the legislation has not been scheduled. A food safety bill has been introduced in the Senate, but it's not clear when lawmakers will begin discussing it, the Wall Street Journal reported.
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Employers, Employees Face Health Insurance Increases: Report
A new report suggests that businesses that provide health insurance coverage for employees may have to deal with a 9 percent cost increase in 2010 and their workers may have to cope with an even larger increase.
The consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers said one reason for the rise in costs is because employees concerned about losing their jobs are using their health insurance while it's still available to them, the Associated Press reported. Another factor is increasing medical costs due to rising unemployment.
For its report, PWC surveyed more than 500 employers and health insurers and found that 42 percent of employers would respond to cost increases by passing some of the burden to workers through higher premiums, deductibles or co-payments.
