Employers Love Wellness Programs. But Do They Work?

CVS Caremark was widely criticized in March when word leaked that its employees would have to submit to health screenings or pay an extra $50 per month for insurance. But the pharmacy chain isn’t exceptional: Nearly half of large companies have wellness programs that measure workers on such factors as weight, blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey.

Employers trying to tame growing medical costs want to find people at risk for illness and prod them to change their behavior—quit smoking, lose weight—before they need expensive treatments.