Wal-Mart to Offer Improved Health Benefits

[missouri dem 2]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060223/ap_on_bi_ge/wal_mart_health_care

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - Wal-Mart Stores Inc., under attack for its health care coverage for its employees, plans improvements that would include expanding the availability of its lowest cost plan and shortening the waiting periods to enroll part-time workers and their children.
At the same time, Wal-Mart Chief Executive Lee Scott said Thursday that employers cannot continue to meet the rising costs of health care and urged a government-business partnership to find an answer.

The announcement marks the second time in six months that the world's largest retailer has moved to improve health benefits and comes ahead of Scott's speech Sunday about the issue to the nation's governors, who are looking for ways to cap rising costs for taxpayer-funded health plans that cover the uninsured. Details of the new health benefit plans are expected to be unveiled in the coming months.

Scott is also expected to renew Wal-Mart's criticism of bills filed in at least 22 states that would force the retailer to spend more on health care. Maryland has become the first state in the nation to require Wal-Mart to spend more on employee health care or pay the difference into the state's Medicaid fund. The Retail Industry Leaders Association has challenged the law in court.

"The soaring cost of health care in America cannot be sustained over the long term by any business that offers health benefits to its employees," Scott said in a statement released ahead of the speech to the National Governors Association.
Wake Up Wal-Mart, one of Wal-Mart's harshest critics, called the retailer's attempts to improve its health care plan as "nothing more than a facade."

[eleny]

1. So, will they be keeping their prices the same?

One has to wonder.

[MichiganVote]

2. Corporations to US: Less gov't! Less gov't!....unless...

Health Care: More gov't! More gov't!

Companies in America don't value their workers.

[Mithras61]

3. How will expanding the availability of its lowest cost plan...

help make that plan affordable for the people working 37.4 hours per week (since to be "full time" you have to work 37.5 hours per week) or less? If you can't afford the plan, making it available to more people doesn't make it more affordable for you!

[xchrom]

4. walmart -- the poster company for socialized medicine.

they should just come out in favor of it.

[rpannier]

5. The improved benefits will include

1. Access to the company witch doctor.

2. The finest in medical science that the 13th century has to offer.

3. And if you're really sick...the finest prayer circle and laying on hands to cure ills that America has to offer.

[The_Casual_Observer]

6. employers cannot continue to meet the rising costs of health care

cry me a river you bastards. They have been in league with communist china for years now, exploiting what amounts to prison labor, making money hand over fist.

[Earth_First]

7. The Big 3 and Box Retail will introduce the single payer legislation...

Maybe not tomorrow. Maybe not next year. Or three years. Yet the rising costs of pension and health care related expenses will force legislation lobbied by the very same Corporation(s) that have fought against it for so many years. The corporate employee is only served when it serves The Corporation first.

[warrens]

21. That's interesting

I think you may have a very good point. I don't think corporations per se opposed single-payer, that was really the insurance companies, who stand to lose tens of billions a year, and to a lesser extent the healthcare industry, which doesn't want to be regulated. But big business's kneejerk reaction was they were against it because under the present system, they have the option of dropping all health insurance any time they want. Single-payer would end that option.

Now, it makes a lot more sense for them to go for a system with predictable costs that are spread evenly around the corporate world so no one gets a competitive advantage. It would not surprise me to see them try to push something through that would have a completely different name, but a very similar effect.

[Dulcinea]

22. You're right.

We'll have single-payer health care in this country if & when corporate America demands it. After all, "the business of America is business!"

[central scrutinizer]

8. raise your hand if you think

they would have done this out of the goodness of their hearts. And that the rising tide of criticism from workers, labor unions, activists, etc. played no role in this. I don't see any hands. We have real evidence that being vocal and active works, even if only in tiny increments.

[Orangepeel]

20. exactly. this is very good news

the cynical among us know that what Walmart is doing is probably just a band-aid (literally!), but this will actually help a few people who currently have no access to health care at all and it is happening because people -- labor unions pushing for organization, legislators forcing Walmart to pay its share, voters who keep it out of their towns -- made it happen.

[kineneb]

23. sometimes the most "liberal" programs stem from conservative reasons

two historical items:
1. Bismark's institution of governemnt health care in 19th C. Germany came from fear of being overthrown by far left groups of the time.

2. FDR's New Deal: there was a fear amongst the gov. at the time that there would be a revolution, and the program was created to prevent one. Read some of John Kenneth Galbraith's works on the subject.

[bullimiami]

9. if walmart was not just huge and cheap but huge and smart they would

set up medical clinics at their supercenters. they are big enough to control the entire process and medical care is not a money losing proposition or there would be no HMOs.

They could open clinics, hire doctors, hold the insurance of the doctors and the patients, recoup money on copays. And their clinics could fill their open space with outside appointments.

[PA Democrat]

14. Actually, I read that they were considering opening a walk-in medical

clinic in a few test locations inside stores. The intent was to serve customers as I recall, not their own employees, however.

[VegasWolf]

10. The little WalMart Smiley face has just received an arrow directly

to its little black heart.

[DS1]

11. HA! Wal*Mart offering improved benefits is them giving you a free shopping

cart to live out of when you can't pay rent or health insurance.

What? Those carts cost 4 dollars!

[Ilsa]

12. I heard about the "value" plan and it sounds like it might be

workable for alot of employees and affordable. They'll get major medical coverage, and they'll have a certain number of doctor visits and prescriptions covered for very low or no copay. The insurance would be a more reasonable cost, like $40 a month versus $300 or whatever it is. It isn't perfect, but it could help alot of people and get a bunch of kids off the CHIP programs.

This is closer to what they should have done all along.

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

13. If business can't afford health care, how can individuals?

Assholes.

[saigon68]

15. kick

[tedzbear]

16. Hahahahahahaha!!! Ahahahahaha!!

bullshit.

[auburngrad82]

17. A box of band-aids would be better than what they have now.

Improving benefits won't take much when most of their employees have no benefits.



Liberal bumper stickers

[rucky]

18. Hey Wal-Mart, I know how you can get out of this...

support Universal Healthcare.

[zann725]

19. Sounds like a P.R. "band-aid"...at best. Can't teach an ol' dog new tricks

And Wal-Mart IS Wal-Mart...and was created to be just that.

Why change now? Just pretend...or hire good P.R. firm and/or lawyers.