We know it won’t be nearly enough, yet we can’t help noticing today’s announcement by Walmart that they will expand their health coverage offerings to their workers. Does anyone think they would be doing this were it not for the public attention to their pitiful performance? Just a reminder — the MA survey on employers who have 50+ workers on MassHealth or the Free Care Pool — Walmart’s #1 with 6,146 employees and dependents reliant on these programs. Total 2005 cost to taxpayers and the state to provide coverage for Walmart employees — $7,990,566.
(That’s about $990,566 more than the total revenue take from the State Senate/Business proposal to tax businesses that don’t cover their workers $62 per year.)
Here’s a summary from the Kaiser Daily Briefing:
Wal-Mart on Thursday announced it will expand employee health benefits, USA Today reports. The company said it will reduce the two-year waiting period for part-time workers to qualify for health benefits, but it did not specify the new waiting time. Wal-Mart said it will allow part-time workers to enroll their children in the insurance plan. Wal-Mart said it will expand its Value Plan — under which employees can purchase coverage for as low as $11 per month — to half of its employees by 2007. The plan allows three generic prescriptions and three doctor visits before implementing a deductible, which is $1,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a family.
The company currently insures fewer than half of its 1.3 million U.S. employees. … According to the New York Times, “Without … details, it is unclear whether the latest changes will move Wal-Mart employees off state Medicaid rolls and onto Wal-Mart’s insurance plans”. USA Today reports many of the proposals “are not new” and were “included in a memo leaked to the press” in 2005. The announcement “comes as about 22 states consider laws that could force Wal-Mart stores to pay more on health care for its workers”.
Paul Ginsberg, president of the Center for Studying Health System Change, credited Wal-Mart for expanding health care during a time when many employers are cutting coverage, but he added that the company was “clearly focused on what it can do to look better without it costing them a lot more money.”
Don’t try to solve serious matters in the middle of the night.–Philip K. Dick, science fiction novelist (December 16, 1928 – March 2, 1982)
I have a Wal-Mart health insurance policy, too! It is not worth the plastic card that it is written on. It has paid nothing on my doctor bills. And as for the three prescriptions per year, you do not get those until you meet the $300.00 deductible on the pharmacy part of the policy because I called the number on the back of the insurance card. I am paying insurance premiums to get absolutly nothing in return. Just another rip off that Wal-Mart does for hard working employees. And when we are sick doctors notes are NOT counted as a legitimate reason for being absent.
i have the walmart insurance and yes it is worthless for 10years i feel like such a fool,for all that they do is deduct my paycheck, and when it came time for me to use the insurance it paid out nothing i am getting letters let and right from dr. hospital and clinics that i owe all amounts. my advise to anyone to all is walmart insurance is just a thief..
I have a family member on the Wal-Mart insurance and it is about worthless!! It does not cover yearly pap test for women, mammograms or other tests for men. It does not have any coverage for dermotology (non-cosmetic) visits. It pretty much does not do any good unless you are about dead and in the hospital!!! It is shameless what a company such as Wal-Mart provides for it employes.170210