NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Spurred by rising healthcare costs, an unprecedented number of US companies are offering health promotion and management programs to their employees, according to a new study by benefits consulting giant Hewitt Associates.

Ninety-three percent of US companies now offer some kind of health promotion program, up from 89% in 1996, Hewitt said. Such programs can include flu vaccines and address specific diseases or conditions.

Disease management programs are especially popular, according to Hewitt consultant Camille Haltorn. That's because those programs produce measurable results in a shorter period of time than traditional wellness programs, which can take three or four years to demonstrate their value, she said.

Employees can sometimes get benefits from disease management programs in the first year or two, Haltorn told Reuters Health.

The study found 76% of employers currently provide disease management programs. Eighty-four percent of them offer the programs through self-insured or fully insured health plans, Hewitt said.

Seventy-nine percent offer flu vaccinations, well-baby/child care, prenatal care and other special programs for disease and medical management. That's up from 63% in 1996.

Many employers are also sponsoring education and training programs, including smoking cessation classes, nutrition counseling for diabetics and "Weight Watchers At Work" programs. Seventy-two percent now offer some kind of educational program, a two percentage-point increase since 1996.

"We're also seeing an increase in the number of employers offering online access to health content sites," Haltorn noted.

Lincolnshire, Illinois-based Hewitt said the results are based on a survey of 945 US corporations.

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