Southeastern PA seeing a spike in suicides
The economy is a factor cited by those contemplating suicide and seeking help, reports the Doylestown Intelligencer.
As layoffs increase, so do worries about health coverage for those without jobs
Too often, the jobless find themselves struggling to make payments towards health insurance plans.
Healthcare spending still climbing, but barely
Health-care spending grew at its lowest rate in nearly a decade in 2007, but it continued to swallow an ever-bigger portion of U.S. gross domestic product and family budgets, reports the Wall Street Journal.
Mental health professionals seeing an increase in clinical depression
They’re blaming it on the economic crisis, reports the Morning Call.
More Pennsylvanians selling blood plasma to make ends meet
Today, the Morning Call uses the testimonies of several Allentown residents to show how many more Pennsylvanians, and Americans in general, are selling their blood plasma in effort to make ends meet during the economic crisis.
UPMC St. Margaret shutting down cardiac, pulmonary program
In light of increased costs for maintaining its services, while having to deal with lower reimursement rates from insurance companies and government programs, UPMC St. Margaret has announced that it will shut down its cardiac and pulmonary services on Jan. 5.
UPDATE: Hospitals not immune to credit squeeze
Last week, HealthPoint PA told you about a New York Times article warning that across the United States, hospitals will be one of the industries greatly affected by the economic crisis. Yesterday’s Pittsburgh Post-Gazette featured an article on the same subject, this time focused on Pennsylvania.
Altoona Mirror tells Gov./Legislators to keep hands off rainy day fund
Although it may be drizzling, with a few passing storms, in PA’s economy, the Altoona Mirror editorialized today that we have not yet reached emergency status. Therefore, the Legislature and Rendell shouldn’t even be considering dipping into the state’s rainy day fund.