Study: Uninsured more likely to die of injuries

Study: Uninsured more likely to die of injuries

CHICAGO — Uninsured patients with traumatic injuries, such as those from car crashes, falls and gunshot wounds, were almost twice as likely to die in the hospital as similarly injured patients with health insurance, according to a troubling new study.

The findings by Harvard University researchers surprised doctors and health experts who have believed emergency-room care was equitable.

The study, appearing in the November issue of Archives of Surgery, comes as Congress is debating the expansion of health- insurance coverage to millions more Americans. It could add fodder to that debate.

Rate of hunger in US rises

WASHINGTON — More than one in seven American households struggled to put enough food on the table in 2008, the highest rate since the Agriculture Department began tracking food-security levels in 1995.

That’s about 49 million people, or 14.6 percent of U.S. households. The numbers are a significant increase from 2007, when 11.1 percent of U.S. households suffered from what USDA classifies as “food insecurity” — not having enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle.

Researchers blamed the increase in hunger on a lack of money and other resources.

President Barack Obama called the USDA’s findings “unsettling.” He noted that other indicators of hunger have gone up, such as the number of food-stamp applications and the use of food banks. And he said his administration is committed to reversing the trend.

New gift-card rules

WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve on Monday proposed new rules to protect consumers from unexpected costs or restrictions on gift cards.

More than 95 percent of Americans have received or purchased gift cards, the Fed said.

Under the proposed rule, consumers must have at least five years to use the gift cards before they expire. The Fed also said service or inactivity fees can be imposed only under certain conditions.

Such fees can be charged if the consumer hasn’t used the card for at least a year, if the consumer is given clear disclosures about them and no more than one fee is charged a month, the Fed said.

The Fed was directed to take the action under a law Congress passed in May.

Gunmen kill 13 in Iraq

BAGHDAD — Gunmen in Iraqi army uniforms abducted and killed 13 people whose bodies were found Monday with gunshot wounds to the head, including a local leader of Iraq’s largest Sunni party, which once helped fight al-Qaida.

Police played down the incident as tribal violence in an attempt to defuse sectarian tension, but the political connection suggests the killings also could have been the work of insurgents or rival Sunnis vying for power before January elections.

Bus-safety rules proposed

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration said Monday it will propose long-sought safety requirements for long-distance buses, including seat belts and stronger roof standards.

A motorcoach safety plan released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration calls for developing performance requirements for bus roofs before the end of this year and issuing a rule by early next year on installation of seat belts.

Safety advocates have for years urged seat belts and stronger roofs to prevent passengers from being ejected in rollovers.

Motorcoaches are buses with elevated passenger decks over a baggage compartment. They are widely used for service between cities and by the tour industry.

Associated Press