As the economy continues to suffer, employers look for ways to help their employees stretch a dollar a bit farther. As we are now in open enrollment season, cutting costs for health insurance is one of those ways. Emplloyers are shifting their focus to wellness programs to encourage the prevention of disease, and more often offering high deductible plans and encouraging the use of health savings accounts. This is all in an attempt to battle rising health insurance premiums, which are rising by about 5 percent nationally. As employers choose plans with lower premiums, many fear that coverages will be much skimpier, which could be the case, but employers on the whole are helping turn their employees into more intelligent and informed health care consumers. How will companies continue to cope with the rise in insurance premiums, especially as the economy continues to decline?