Wal-Mart Cuts Some Health Care Benefits

[Newsjock]

Source: New York Times

After trying to mollify its critics in recent years by offering better health care benefits to its employees, Wal-Mart is substantially rolling back coverage for part-time workers and significantly raising premiums for many full-time staff.

Citing rising costs, Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest private employer, told its employees this week that all future part-time employees who work less than 24 hours a week on average will no longer qualify for any of the company’s health insurance plans.

In addition, any new employees who average 24 hours to 33 hours a week will no longer be able to include a spouse as part of their health care plan, although children can still be covered.

... Wal-Mart’s new health offerings will require many employees who smoke to pay a significant penalty. They will be required to pay an extra $10 to $90 each pay period — $260 to $2,340 a year — if they want health coverage.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/21/business/wal-mart-cuts-some-health-care-benefits.html?hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1319177109-WCoK81bsM4GKO3XPw3Whlw

[jpbollma]

1. Benefits?

I didn't even know they offered benefits!

[rsmith6621]

2. This is a shot to the BOW of the SS OBAMACARE

.....just trying to exploit Obamacare at the expense of its of it's employees health.

[lib2DaBone]

3. Our entire economy is held hostage by Big Insurance.

There doesn't seem to be any signs of slowing down. My paltry benefits just went up 17% for the year.

Helthcare reform?

[CBHagman]

12. The big increases have been going on for years.

Some years back (It may have been 2002 or thereabouts) the company I work for changed to a different insurance provider because premiums for our then-current plan were set to double.

As for the health care reform legislation passed in 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, many of the provisions have not taken effect yet. And even if that weren't so, it's misleading (to say nothing of lame) for Karl Rove's American Crossroads PAC to be running ads that link insurance premium increases with the ACA. He wasn't bothered when people's rates increased in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008, was he?

[No Elephants]

4. I thought Medicaid was the Walmart health insurance plan.

I hear their employees apply for welfare to supplement their so-called wages.

[daa]

15. States cut Medicaid nt

[dmosh42]

5. Must be time for exec bonuses!

[tawadi]

10. That, or hiring a few more exec buddies to play golf with

[sofa king]

6. The benefits nobody actually gets because they're part-timers?

[Omaha Steve]

7. Meanwhile the City of Council Bluffs (Ia) will give Walmart 4 million $ to build a new store

http://www.omaha.com/article/20111021/NEWS01/710219900/0#walmart-a-topic-at-bluffs-forum

About 25 people attended the forum at New Life Fellowship Church. It was sponsored by the Roberts Park Neighborhood Association.

The Walmart proposal generated comment at the meeting.

Challenger Jim Nelson felt strongly about the project, tax breaks or not.

"Yes, bring Walmart there. It's jobs. We need jobs," Nelson said.

[blueclown]

8. Wal-mart is shifting its employees onto Medicaid.

I would say that they are shifting their employees onto the state exchanges, but I would venture to guess that none of their part-time employees would actually make enough to qualify for a subsidy from an exchange.

Wal-mart should be forced to pay a penalty on each employee it doesn't cover to cover the cost of the state's increased burden for Medicaid. And under the Affordable Care Act, theoritically they will be hit with a penalty. My question is: is this penalty big enough? The penalty should be close to the amount that the company would spend yearly on health expenditures per employee.

[Javaman]

9. shifting?

it's been long shown that, a giant chunk of walmart employees rely on Medicaid to get by.

[tawadi]

11. Medicaid?

I'm not sure Medicaid will cover all of those employees. Most will go uninsured.

[blueclown]

17. Why not?

Most Wat-mart employees are at or below 133% of the poverty line, which would qualify them for Medicaid under the new ACA rules.

[tawadi]

19. I wasn't aware most Wal-mart employees qualified

Especially if they are full time.

[Kingofalldems]

13. Republicans just love Wal-Mart and their 'business plan'

[sarcasmo]

14. Screwing the peasants one Chinese good at a time.

[Doctor_J]

16. Their employees already qualify for Medicaid

so they're basically placing them on the taxpayer's backs.

Occupy WalMart

[Kingofalldems]

18. CBS did a piece on this tonight

They said health care premiums are only going up 5% or so next year, so Wal-Mart's action is puzzling. Looks like they are trying to increase profits on their employees backs.