Wood County focuses on employee wellness

In 2012, about $10.4 million of Wood County’s proposed $91.3 million budget is planned to pay employee health expenses for the county’s self-funded insurance program. Health insurance is about 11 percent of the county’s budget — one of the reasons officials encourage employees to participate in a prevention program, said Mike Martin, Wood County finance director, who also is chairman of the county Wellness Board. (WISCONSIN RAPIDS TRIBUNE, 10/14)