Everyday Low Benefits Wal-Mart dumps 30,000 part-timers onto the ObamaCare

Wallstreet Journal ^ | Oct 7, 2014

[KeyLargo]

Everyday Low Benefits Wal-Mart dumps 30,000 part-timers onto the ObamaCare exchanges.

Oct. 7, 2014 7:25 p.m. ET

Wal-Mart endorsed ObamaCare in 2009 and helped drag the bill through Congress, and so far it hasn’t recanted. By holding back economic growth and incomes, perhaps the law is expanding the retailer’s customer base. Another plus—at least for management—is that Wal-Mart can jettison its employees into the ObamaCare insurance exchanges.

The Associated Press reported Tuesday that the largest U.S. private employer is dropping health benefits for some 30,000 workers, or about 5% of its part-time workforce. Earlier health-plan eligibility triage in 2011 had removed tens of thousands of Wal-Mart workers from the balance sheet, so this latest purge was probably inevitable.

Wal-Mart cites its inability to manage higher-than-anticipated health expenses. Perhaps—though wasn’t ObamaCare supposed to bring those costs down? Obviously the company is also responding rationally to ObamaCare’s incentives. With a subsidized government alternative now open for business, and since corporations aren’t liable for a penalty for not covering people who work fewer than 30 hours a week on average, cost-control logic says to send such coverage ballast over the side. Other retail and grocery chains including Target, Home Depot and Trader Joe’s have already done the same.

[GeronL]

I think many have a full-size fast food place inside of them, or at least they used to.

[ottbmare]

It is damn near impossible to get a job that offers more than thirty hours a week anyway.

[silverleaf]

cutting part timers from the company health plan is a blessing in disguise, give the rules written for obamacare

None of these part time workers was eligible for obamacare subsidies simply by virtue of being eligible for an employer health plan, whether they could afford to buy it or not- and many couldn’t

however since the law now says they MUST buy a health plan, cutting them and allowing them to get subsidized obamacare works to their financial benefit
http://www.vox.com/2014/10/7/6939057/walmart-drops-insurance-good-news

[Pining_4_TX]

Arggh, don’t say that! My husband’s employer is starting to force people out, and my husband is going to be one of them.

Anybody want to hire an old financial analyst/accountant? Prefer to live near our kids in Des Moines, even if it is colder than a well-digger’s butt. Are there polar bears in Des Moines?

He would like to work at least 3 more years. I want him to work much longer. ;-)

[xrmusn]

An Applebees in Wal-Mart would be quite nice.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Can’t have one of those expensive high dollar eateries there.
Remember a great line from a few years back when people were talking about ‘Dollar Stores’ (NOT Dollar General, I mean the ones where EVERYTHING is a buck) and someone stated she liked the Dollar Store cause she didn’t have to get dressed up like when she goes to Walmart.

Nothing on the roof, why not high rise apartments? Then they can get their own Zip Code (OR their own (Walmart) Postal Delivery Service) and you will NEVER have to leave your local Walmart.....

That Walmart PO probably could ‘work’ your empty tractor trailers leaving could be loaded with mail and when it hits the distribution center sort it like a FEDEX system only route it to another Walmart in the destination area.
They could then hire locals to do the delivery BUT like the Layaway Plan, it really doesn’t work unless you can get the people in your store on a fairly regular basis.

Think it is in Baltimore, right off the Inner Harbor there is a Staples with a parking garage on its roof....

[vpintheak]

Planned, all planned. This is what it was designed to do. Make it so difficult on business that they must either lose money or dump health care. Forcing people onto the government exchanges, where they can be controlled. Just wait until the “Cadillac plan” tax hits.
I’m pessimistic enough to believe unions will get exempted, but the rest of us with good health insurance are going to suffer, and suffer dearly.

[KeyLargo]

"...but the rest of us with good health insurance are going to suffer, and suffer dearly."

You cracker whiners need to just pay up for your sins......

This is simply Obama's planned reparations in the form of Federal taxes.

[Rembrandt]

Wal Mart did not author this disaster - it is 100% DEMOCRAT.

[Rembrandt]

“Wal-Mart will stop offering health care coverage for part-time employees ..”

Is Wal-Mart the only employer who is dropping health care coverage for part-time employees? Or is it one of thousands?