NEWS BRIEFS
NEWS BRIEFS
Formula-fed infants cost health plans more
Babies fed formula are more likely to need doctor visits and prescriptions than babies who are breastfed, according to a recent study by the University of Arizona department of pediatrics. It stands to reason, assert researchers, that babies who are not breastfed will cost health plans — and employers — more than babies who are.
"These findings are significant because they quantify the cost of not breast-feeding," says Anne Wright, PhD, a research professor at the university and one of the leaders of the study, which was published in the April issue of the Journal of the Ambulatory Pediatric Society. "Our work . . . as well as that of other researchers, has shown that breast-fed infants have lower incidence of illness. This may be the first to attach a price tag to not breast-feeding."
When the researchers compared 1,000 never-breastfed babies to 1,000 who had been exclusively breastfed for three or more months, they found 2,033 excessive office visits, 212 excess days of hospitalization and 609 excess prescriptions for ear infections, lower respiratory infections, and diarrheal illnesses. They estimated the additional health care costs of exclusive formula feeding at between $331 and $475 per infant in the first year of life.
For more information contact: The University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, P.O. Box 24095, Tucson, AZ 85724-5095. Telephone: (520) 626-7301. Fax: (520) 626-2101.
Aetna program helps uninsured workers
Aetna US Healthcare has unveiled an affordable health insurance plan for small companies and their employees that is designed to help reduce the number of working uninsured people in America. The Aetna Foundation will also fund a national conference and regional forums that will bring together a broad spectrum of business, civic, and community leaders to further explore private sector solutions to the issue of the uninsured.
The new product is a hospital indemnity policy intended for employers who wish to give their employees the option of supplemental health insurance coverage for hospital stays and doctor visits. "Affordable HealthChoices takes the sensible approach of providing basic coverage at a price that many small businesses can afford," says Aetna chairman Richard L. Huber.
For more information, contact: Aetna US Healthcare Communications Department, 980 Jolly Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422, or visit the Aetna Web site at www.aetnaushc.com.
Expanded MSDS database available
The largest and most extensive compilation of material safety data sheets (MSDSs), with more than 224,000 records for both trade name and generic chemicals, has been updated by Solutions Software Corp. The CD-ROM still costs $98.75 for a current edition, or $325 for an annual (four-issue) subscription.
The DOS software offers instant search/retrieval of the MSDS entries, which can be searched by name or partial term in any of the 238 data fields available in each record. Categories include: General Information, Physical/Chemical Characteristics, Fire and Explosion Hazard Data, Reactivity Data, Health Hazard Data, Precautions for Safe Handling and Use, Control Measures, Transportation Data, Disposal Data, Label Data, and Ingredient Data.
For ordering information, contact: Richard Dunkel, Solutions Software Corp., 1795 Turtle Hill Road, Enterprise, FL 32725. Telephone: (407) 321-7912. E-mail: [email protected].
Self-care guide now on-line
Rodale’s Online Health, Emmaus, PA-based workplace electronic health service, has incorporated the book, Health at Home: Your Complete Guide to Symptoms, Solutions & Self-Care, into its new self-care section. The book was written by Don Powell, PhD, president of The American Institute for Preventive Medicine, Farmington Hills, MI.
"Self-care is one of the few areas offering measurable results in multiplying the return on an organization’s health care investment," notes Scott Overholt, director of Rodale’s Online Health. "The potential benefit to employers and employees alike is enormous."
For more information, contact: Meg Gerancher, Rodale’s Online Health, One S. Franklin St., Fleetwood, PA. Telephone: (610) 967-8140. E-mail: [email protected].
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