Health Highlights: June 23, 2009
June 24 -- Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:
FDA Warns About Salmonella-Tainted Pistachios
Consumers should not to eat certain brands of pistachio nuts because they may be contaminated with salmonella, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns.
The California Prime Produce- and Orange County Orchards-brand pistachios were distributed to retail locations in airports and hotels across the United States. The pistachios are in clear 6-ounce flexible plastic Ziploc bags, with "Sell By Dates" of "7/30/09" and "8/30/09," United Press International reported.
Orca Distribution West Inc. of Anaheim, Calif., received and repackaged pistachios recalled by Setton Pistachios of Terra Bella Inc., which has recalled all of its pistachios because of possible salmonella contamination, the FDA said.
More than 660 products are affected by the Setton recall, UPI reported. The FDA has a complete list of products at www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/pistachiorecall/index.cfm.
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Americans Now Have Higher Out-of-Pocket Costs: Report
Out-of-pocket costs (including premiums) for American workers with employer-based health insurance increased 30 percent between 2001 and 2006, from an average of $2,827 to $3,744, according to a federal government report released Tuesday.
When premiums weren't included, the average cost increased from $1,260 to $1,522, according to Hidden Costs of Health Care: Why Americans Are Paying More but Getting Less.
The report also says that employer-sponsored health insurance premiums have nearly doubled since 2000, a rate three times higher than wage increases. In 2008, the average premium for an employer-based family plan was $12,680. That's nearly as much as the annual wage of a person working a full-time minimum wage job, the report said.
