Construction workers, farmers and landscape workers take note: insect-related deaths are most likely in your line of work. As reported by The Wall Street Journal’s The Numbers blog, a new report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) finds that insects, arachnids, and mites were involved in 83 fatal occupational injuries from 2003 to 2010. During the course of the eight-year period, farmers and farm workers (20 fatalities), construction occupations (19 fatalities) and landscaping workers (17 fatalities) accounted for two-thirds of the deaths. Bees were responsible for 52 workplace deaths – more than spiders, wasps and ants combined (25), The Numbers blog reports. Most of the deaths (72 of the 83 total) were directly…

The mortality rate in Massachusetts declined substantially in the four years after the state enacted a law in 2006 mandating universal health care coverage, providing the model for the Affordable Care Act. In a study released last week, Harvard School of Public Health professors Benjamin Sommers, Sharon Long and Katherine Baicker conclude that “health reform in Massachusetts was associated with a significant decrease in all-cause mortality.” The authors caution that their conclusions, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, may not apply to all states, and other studies have shown little correlation between having insurance and living longer. Nevertheless, the Harvard study adds to a growing body of evidence that having health insurance…

If you’re responsible for a portion, if not all of your health insurance costs, you are well aware of the price tag that comes with the territory. While you can take the easy way out and sign up for the cheapest and most streamlined health insurance policy, you could end up contributing to your out-of-pocket costs considerably. The smarter alternative is to do your homework so you can avoid making the following costly health insurance mistakes. 1. Focusing only on the premium and deductible When you’re selecting a policy, it’s wise to look beyond the premium and deductible. (For those of you who are unfamiliar with these terms, the premium…