By Katherine Hobson
Chronic-Disease Burden: The United Nations today opens a two-day meeting at which it will discuss how to better prevent and treat the noncommunicable diseases including diabetes, heart disease and cancer that one report estimates could cost the global economy $30 trillion between now and 2030, the WSJ reports. More than 80% of deaths from chronic diseases occur in the developing world, including countries where infectious diseases are still a major threat, the paper reports.
Disturbing Statistics: New research published in Pediatrics suggests that in four states, the number of kids admitted to hospitals with abusive brain trauma rose to an annual 14.7 per 100,000 children after the economy turned down at the end of 2007 from 8.9 before, Reuters reports. The study can’t prove that the effects of the bad economy caused the increase in abuse.
Focus on the Individual: Cigna is today kicking off a $25 million health-insurance ad campaign aimed at individual consumers — both those who are covered through work and those who purchase individual policies — the WSJ reports. Right now Cigna offers individual coverage in 10 states, though it plans to expand to select markets starting in 2014, when the health-care overhaul’s key provisions kick in, the paper says.
New Role for Paramedics: In a few places around the country, emergency-response workers are attempting to reduce the heavy use of the 911 system by a small percentage of people by proactively helping with disease treatment and other preventive measures, the New York Times reports. The problem with “community paramedics” offering this type of preventive care is that emergency workers aren’t reimbursed unless they transport a patient to a hospital or medical facility, the paper says.