Some employers offering wellness programs to cut health costs

As health insurance costs rise, employers are scrambling to reduce premiums, especially now that they average $10,073 per employee, according to a survey by benefits-consulting firm Mercer. One plan of attack? Wellness programs, with companies offering employees incentives to participate. The idea sounds simple — just make people healthier and insurance claims will go down. But that's more easily said than done. Human resources managers debate how much they can impose health-related requirements on employees amid concerns of privacy, overreaching and discrimination.