A question about that WalMart health insurance for under $40 per month...

[CTyankee]

There's an annoying ad by WalMart about how great their employees' benefits are, including the employee health care policy costing the employee under $40 a month.

Does anyone know what is IN those policies?

I'm very tempted to drive over to a nearby WalMart and ask one of the "associates" there...

[VanillaRhapsody]

1. I LOL every time I see it...

Junk insurance!

anyone with half a brain realizes that insurance "starting at $40 a month" doesn't cover jack-shit. $480 a year? Seriously. You would be better off putting that in the bank with what you are going to get for that!

[CTyankee]

3. I'm gonna try to find out.

WalMart has its nerve, running that ad in the first place.

[Nye Bevan]

6. "Junk insurance" is illegal under the ACA (nt)

[onehandle]

2. That commercial is such total bullshit. If those are 'employees' they probably made it under duress.

More importantly, people who shop at Walmart are probably not the most critical thinkers, and will lap it up.

Flame away, but most people can't see past the idiot box in their living room.

[leftstreet]

5. People don't shop SprawlMart because they're stupid n/t

[onehandle]

7. That's not what I'm saying.

But most people are idiots and many have to shop at Walmart.

Continue flaming.

[moishe pippick]

8. No one's flaming you, but you're asking for it

Consider this a flame or not, don't care: I am tired of condescending elitist attitudes like yours, whether you're talking about just people who work at Walmart or everyone the attitude that most people are 'idiots' has no place in an egalitarian society.

Most Americans shop at Walmart. It is an unavoidable part of life in this country whether they like it or not. The working class people who shop there and who work there deserve our respect and solidarity, not sneers.

[JaneyVee]

9. Good point. Lets not forget that Walmart decimates most small businesses

Therefore not giving town residents much alternatives to shopping there or working there.

[Rex]

10. I doubt 'most people shop at Walmart'. That is just sloganeering.

Most people probably shop at their local dollar general store.

[ramblin_dave]

4. What amount is Walmart paying?

Many companies only deduct a small amount from employee paychecks, the total premium payed to the health plan is much more.

[Glitterati]

11. I can tell you first hand - my son works for WalMart

It's garbage insurance. Covers nothing.

My son has asthma, he was a preemie and has had asthma all his life. Not only did it NOT cover his doctor visits for asthma (pre-existing condition, thankyouverymuch) it didn't even cover his prescription inhalers purchased AT the Walmart pharmacy.

It's GARBAGE, not insurance.

[Puzzledtraveller]

12. Don't all plans have to be ACA compliant?

[Glitterati]

13. I assume so

I was just answering the question of the initial post.

Haven't spoken to my son about it, so I have no idea if the situation has changed, but he saw his Doctor last year for a severe asthma attack and his Walmart insurance didn't cover a dime of it. And, continues NOT to cover his meds.

I saw the letter from the insurance company denying coverage as a pre-existing condition as he lived with me then.

That's all I know.

[SoCalDem]

17. For adults, the requirements kick in Jan 1.. That's why policies are getting canceled

The junk policies are NOT compliant, and the companies will NOT offer a good po;icy for cheap prices..

These junk policies are marketed mostly to people who probably will not ever even use them..young healthy people, and people who cannot afford a co pay at all, so they wait out their illnesses

[KellyGofAL]

14. Why Does This Surprise Anyone?

The fact that Walmart takes full advantage of every legal loophole available to them to limit employee hours, and therefore escape paying for health insurance, I'd say makes them no better than and fully in cahoots with the conservative, Tea Party weenies that want to limit the minimum wage, keep the vast populace poor and stupid, and scare them into the voting booth with anti-progressive and homophobic messages. That said, the person in the ad speaking to the $40/month health insurance probably only applies to the full time folks, and it can easily be decent insurance, with the balance being paid for by the company. I work for the biggest airplane maker in the U.S., and pay nothing for great health insurance now, and if I retire early (before I'm eligible for Medicare), I can pay $40/month for my same policy (Blue Cross/Shield) until Medicare kicks in. So it CAN be great health insurance (although I bet it doesn't cover contraceptives), Bottom line about this ad? Deception and lying, two of many trademarks of the conservative, Tea Party weenies mentioned above.

[ScreamingMeemie]

15. Well said, and welcome to DU KellyGofAL

[Tikki]

16. HI kellyGofAL…doesn't surprise many here at DU...

We know all of Wal*Marts tricks…there is a ton of info about that place here on DU..

look forward to more of your posts.


Tikki

[gopiscrap]

18. yub you're absolutely right!

[ancianita]

20. "Taking advantage" is one of the accusations leveled at individual welfare recipients,

as we all know. To the right wing, 'take advantage' is bad -- unless the already-rich do it, then it's just good business sense; to the LW, it's exactly what we pay taxes for and why we hate finding out that lying ads bamboozle those made to feel ashamed about being on welfare at all.

Just an observation.

Oh, by the way, welcome to DU! Hope you enjoy your stay.

[caraher]

19. It's non-ACA compliant

My son just started a manufacturing job through a staffing agency and they offered him a similar plan. Fortunately we can keep him on my wife's policy because of his age, but we worked out that between the deductibles/co-pays and the coverage cap in the plan there was actually a very narrow window of annual expenses under which he could conceivably come out "ahead." (I think the sweet spot was something like $700-1200 over the course of 1 year.) It was worthless for catastrophic events.

It's losing "insurance" like this that helps drive all the "Obama lied about being able to keep my present insurance" wailing from low-information, low-wage workers.

[Skidmore]

21. The question about Walmart benefits really concerns how many of their employees work enough hours

to qualify for benefits. Walmart is notorious for its part-time employment to avoid having to pay benefits.

[CTyankee]

22. Yep. And there's that, too! Let's all remember the lovely things about Walmart!

god, these people make me mad! It's a real disgrace...