Healthy Outlook Tips and trends for your growing business

Rising health-care costs are prompting more employers to becomeinvolved in helping employees manage and take responsibility fortheir own health. A survey of 1,050 major U.S. employers by HewittAssociates LLC, a management consulting firm in Lincolnshire,Illinois, found 88 percent of major employers have introduced someform of health management program to promote health, preventunnecessary risk or intervene in the early stages of disease. Thestudy found health management programs typically include at leastone of the following:

• Education and training. New approaches to education andtraining might include individual counseling on treatmentcompliance (for diabetes or asthma, for example) or lifestylehabits that contribute to chronic or acute conditions.