Companies are paying greater attention to the health of their employees. Some benefits managers say the advantages of the programs include fewer medical claims, earlier detection of illnesses, and better knowledge about health care.

A hot new trend in employee benefits, wellness programs are springing up at many companies. For example, the Container Store rolled out a program that's based on encouraging a healthy habit for a period of six weeks. In its current "Chug-a- jug" campaign, each employee can earn a point for drinking 8 ounces of water. Employees with the greatest amounts of points are eligible for prizes and a $500 company contribution in their health reimbursement accounts.

Other companies are emphasizing fitness and battling obesity and providing incentives for employees to get active. Fort Worth's Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc. gives employees credit for getting a physical or filling out an on-line health assessment. An employee who earns at least six credits in a year gets an extra $25 per month.

The Dallas Fed discovered that muscular skeletal disorders were driving their health care costs higher. It brought in specialists to address employee function at their workstations. Two years into the program, they discovered that the intervention had resulted in better attendance rates, at a savings for the company of $250,000 per year. They are planning to expand the program to cover diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

As employers look at creative ways to keep health care costs down, more companies are putting their dollars behind wellness and prevention, with the hopes of a positive return on their investments.