Big companies, insurers urge uptake in wellness programs

Aetna and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association are joining forces with some of the biggest companies to urge the entire business community to embrace wellness programs as a way to lower healthcare costs and boost employee health.

In addition to the insurers, executives from Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson, Verizon and several other companies are coming together as part of a new coalition called the CEO Council on Health and Innovation, according to a statement from the group.

"America's business community has always been an effective driver of change and progress," the CEO Council said in a report. "We are strongly committed to taking action to improve the health and wellness of the nation as a whole, and to promote higher quality, cost-effective, patient-centered care."