Wal-Mart to Offer More Health Coverage

[deadparrot]

WASHINGTON - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Monday it would expand health coverage next month to include as many as 150,000 part-time employees after they have worked for the company for one year.

Until now, the employees have had to work for Wal-Mart for two years to qualify. The coverage also will extend to the employees' children.

The changes were announced at the World Health Care Congress by one of the company's vice presidents, Susan Chambers.

The company has been strongly criticized by unions and others for a health plan that critics say is lacking. However, Chambers said Wal-Mart's health insurance costs have risen at a rate of 19 percent annually over the past three years.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060417/ap_on_re_us/wal_mart_health_care

[Ilsa]

1. I heard on a news report that WalMArt put together a pretty good plan.

It is inexpensive and provides insurance for basic coverages, a certain number of doctor visits and prescriptions and catastrophic. Yeah there could be a gap, but it becomes affordable for many working there. It's a start, any way. And about damn time.

[acmejack]

2. Since they have such a high employee turnover rate

this is still a half measure. I think it will do very little to improve to average worker's lot and I suggest Walmart knows it. They are offering this as a cynical ploy to buy themselves some breathing room from our pressure tactics.

[Vinnie From Indy]

3. Wal-Mart throws a bone to a tiny fraction of their workers!

You can bet that they will spend millions to publicise their meager initiative. It's how they do business.

[Beaverhausen]

4. covered after they work for Wal Mart for a year?

What other company makes anyone wait that long for coverage? The longest I have ever heard was 3 months. This is BS.

[MissB]

5. No kidding. I can't believe they make them wait 2 years.

30 to 90 days is what I've seen in the corporate world. Not two freakin years.

[tsuki]

6. Wow. 19%. Ours goes up 25% per year, in a good year. nt

[sam sarrha]

7. so 65% of jobs are partime.. what is it going to cost them..??

[kitkatrose]

9. Not much, if they rotate their workers out

before the year is up. :(

[sam sarrha]

11. i mean cost the part time workers

[MasonJar]

8. How big of them. Sarcasm galore!

[Telly Savalas]

10. It's not Wal Mart's job to provide health care for its workers.

It's the job of the goddamn government. It's time for the U.S. to catch up with the rest of the industrialized world.

[area51]

12. I hear you.

Cos. like Mal-Wart could easily use their wealth/lawyers to press our govt. to give us universal healthcare. It'd be win-win for them. They'd bring down their costs & have a healthier/more productive workforce.