Jump to full article: CNN, 2008-07-01
Author: Maya Dollarhide
Intro: Rising health care costs are prompting firms to offer wellness programs for employees.
But when Reyes received the results, the diagnosis was a complete shock: His cholesterol and blood-sugar levels were abnormally high.
"It turned out I was a borderline diabetic and at high risk for a heart attack," says Reyes, 41. "I was terrified."
Motivated by his diagnosis, Reyes consulted his family doctor, who put him on medicine to lower his cholesterol . . .
Almost a third of companies offering health insurance benefits to their employees also provide a wellness program of some sort. Fitness, smoking cessation and weight-loss programs are provided most frequently, according to 2006 employer health benefits survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The telephone survey contacted 2,122 randomly selected public and private employers.
While most companies say they have a genuine concern for their employees' well being, the rising cost of health care is obviously part of the equation.
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