Corporate benefits managers are desperate to push more health-care costs to employees, and Thousand Oaks (Calif.)-based WellPoint is answering their call. The spread of WellPoint's flexible plans, which require employees to pay more for high-priced drugs and other expenses, contributed to its 35% growth in profits. Part of WellPoint's secret was that it leveraged its surging stock--which returned 120% to shareholders over the past three years--to buy up a string of regional health plans. In October, WellPoint agreed to its own $16 billion acquisition by Anthem, which will close this summer.