President Obama Champions Wellness Programs

As part the ongoing dialogue regarding health care reform, President Obama met with key business leaders and government officials yesterday to discuss the success of corporate wellness programs. It's gratifying to know that the White House understands the power of these programs to lower costs and improve the health of Americans. Not a moment too soon!

In a statement, the White House said that "the president hopes that by encouraging more employers to adopt [wellness] programs, we can improve the productivity of our workforce, delay or avoid many of the complications of chronic diseases, and slow medical cost growth."

The companies and agencies that met with the president are listed below. Take a look at the full article for a synopsis of what each company is doing to improve the health of their employees:

• The Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union
  
• Johnson and Johnson
  
• Microsoft
  
• Ohio Department of Health
  
• Pitney Bowes
  
• REI
  
• Safeway