Wal-Mart Fights Bill Listing Workers on Public Health Care

kare11.com ^ | 6-2-05 | Associated Press

[Eternal Sea]

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is fighting legislation that would let Minnesotans know how many of its workers are on public health care assistance in this state.

The Bentonville, Arkansas-based retail giant recently sent two executives to St. Paul to lobby against the bill, which the Legislature may vote on in special session this month.

"This is not health care reform," said Nate Hurst, public and government relations manager for Wal-Mart. "This is a campaign against Wal-Mart."

The legislation would create a list of companies whose workers are enrolled in MinnesotaCare and other government health care programs.

Proponents of the bill, whose chief author is Sen. Becky Lourey, DFL-Kerrick, say the public has a right to know which employers are draining the state's public health care system. They say the bill does not target Wal-Mart, but will highlight ways the state can work with companies to improve health care programs.

Last fiscal year, the state spent $270.2 million for MinnesotaCare, which provides assistance for people who don't have access to affordable insurance.

"If it's true what people say, that big multinational companies are outsourcing health care to taxpayers, then it would be good to have a handle on which ones," said Rep. Sheldon Johnson, DFL-St. Paul. "It's just information."

In other states that have compiled such lists, Wal-Mart is at or near the top among employers with workers enrolled in state medical assistance.

The state of Wisconsin reported last week that Wal-Mart employees topped the list of BadgerCare recipients, a health care program for low-income residents.

A bill there would force retailers to reimburse the state for providing the health care needs for their underpaid and underinsured employees. The bill would apply only to stores meeting certain criteria, such as stores that exceed $20 million in sales in a taxable year and allocate less than 10 percent of payroll to employees' health insurance.

Nationwide, 24 states have bills pending that would create lists of employers with large numbers of workers enrolled in public health programs, according to the National Conference of State Legislators.

Labor groups, such as the United Food and Commercial Workers union, worry that other retailers will reduce their health care benefits in order to remain competitive with Wal-Mart. They've used the lists as evidence that Wal-Mart is not providing affordable health care insurance to its employees.

Wal-Mart officials insist such rankings warp its record. As the nation's largest employer, Wal-Mart inevitably will fall at or near the top of most state rankings, the company said.

As of October, Wal-Mart employed 17,329 people in Minnesota.

"We'll be the largest on any list, just because of our size," Hurst said.

The company is also concerned about how the data are collected, Hurst said. If a state compiles a list in December, for instance, the numbers may look abnormally high because Wal-Mart employs a large amount of seasonal employees.

In a May 18 letter to state legislators, Wal-Mart said it helps lift employees off public health care by giving them jobs.

Wal-Mart estimates that 160,000 people have been taken off the list of public health care programs nationwide by accepting jobs at Wal-Mart.

"Please be assured that we do not encourage the use of public assistance, and we do not structure our plans with the idea that there will be a governmental safety net," Wal-Mart said in the letter.

(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Last Updated: 6/2/2005 7:33:11 AM

[Nowhere Man]

Why would they tip toe around it? -

I really have no idea why my grandmother was so tight lipped about it. I think it is kind of dumb, but she was a very private person in a few things, especially financial matters. I know after that, she was raised by her aunts and uncles and so on. She was 6 at the time, and she remembers her father leaving her about that time, maybe a little before. Come to think of it, I have a lot of "black holes" in my family history, I wonder if I have "UFO roots." I like that term, "UFO roots" means that you are so unsure of your family background, sometimes "you got to wonder if your ancestors were kicked out of a UFO." B-) I've also seen the term used by those who have come from aliens and/or claim to be, but I mean it in the former where there are times I wonder where I came from. B-)

[durasell]

The world took a double hit at that time. The first "modern" war and then 1918 flu. Welcome to the 20th century!

[Nowhere Man]

As a point of interest, the flu of 1918 attacked mostly the most physically fit. They believe this was due to a earlier bug that passed through that infected the less fit and built up their immunity.

I also keep hearing that there are concerns the 1957 Asian flu (Peking A I think) might make a comeback and those born past 1968 are susceptible.

[durasell]

People who know keep saying the same thing about another pandemic -- it's not "if" but "when." The trouble is, nobody seems to be listening. And remember, times have changed since 1918. The world is incredibly mobile.

[Sloth]

It would help a great deal if the ambulance chasers would knock it off. That's where healthcare cost are skyrocketing. Any person in the healthcare business would be stupid not to carry a huge amount of malpractice insurance which costs a fortune.

Indeed. The whole money side of the health care industry will NEVER be fixed until there is serious tort reform, making it possible for doctors to offer services at a price reasonably near cost, instead of a vast mark-up to cover malpractice liability.

[Sloth]

there are times I wonder where I came from. B-)

A good handle you picked, then.

[investigateworld]

Anything for a buck=Low prices everyday.
That's flat out Ghouls. I thought Sam said in his '95 book that he stopped doing that. Of course it explains why some of W-M's institutional advertising mentions all the high dollar hospitals that they send their employees to.

[middie]

You must be getting your news from a bubble gum machine

[Aliska]

bubble gum machine

What do you mean? I don't have cable, so I don't get CNN. Most of the news I get on the radio and on the net. Once in awhle I watch the local news on tv. They don't discuss anything, they just report national and international news from some news feed. I don't subscribe to any magazines or any newspaper at the moment.

I have been reading a lot of news articles from all over, including the barf alert ones, here.

[Aliska]

I have a lot of "black holes" in my family history,

We all do. As to your concerns regarding where you came from, I believe you will find your answer in Chaucer's "Wife of Bath's Tale." I've read several versions of Chaucer, including some of the original, but one of the translations sums it up, for Christians at least, "In Christ we have our true heritage."

If you don't like that, maybe you are a lost tribe descendant :-). There are undoubtedly more lost tribes than the ones in the bible.

[commonasdirt]

Actually this company is called American Woodmark and is one of the countrys largets manufacturers. The work has nothing at all to do with old style craftsmanship. They are simply cranking out machine made wood products with the labor of low paid serfs.

[investigateworld]

I have heard of them, but I contract out the door manufacturing locally.

[rmmcdaniell]

Anyone who thinks a company will exist into perpetuity and thereby provide benefits to retirees deserves the deal they brokered. I just think it's sad the taxpayer has to pick up the tab for these poor decisions.

Its not just sad, its theft! The union rackets have no incentive to make sure thier demands don't make the company go under.

[ConservativeMind]

Of course.

The rest of us might be wiser to accept straight salary or wages, buy catastrophic, take care of ourselves, and save the money.

However, you have access to public insurance, so your question is a non-issue anyway.

Get a life or at least a second job.

[Aliska]

you have access to public insurance, so your question is a non-issue anyway.

No I do not. Have been turned down by the state the one time I needed it for surgery. Had to pay out of my own pocket. If I spent my last $2000 in my account, I could have gotten help from the state. Was supposed to get major surgery for female stuff over 10 years ago which meant 8 days in hosp. No. ins. Never got the surgery.

They billed me for the first one, I plunked down $1000 and didn't make the next payment soon enough to suit them so they turned it over to a collection agency. Didn't pay that at all because they would only take cash. Finally they sent that to another collection agency and things were a little better with me at that time, so I paid every last cent, by check, which was good, and I DID owe the money. Then a year later they tried to collect again on the same old debt, and I was frantic wondering if I was going to be able to find the cancelled check to prove it. Luckily I told them what month to check their own records for and they found it.

I'm sure others have been through MUCH MUCH MUCH worse than that.

I'm not able to work and will be eligible for medicare in 2 years if I live until then. Two hours would be my limit and then I need to lie down and rest. Then I can get my teeth fixed maybe. As it is now, I pull and pay as I go IF the pain gets too bad, about $400 a shot now for one tooth.

[Gaffer]

"If it's true what people say, that big multinational companies are outsourcing health care to taxpayers, then it would be good to have a handle on which ones," said Rep. Sheldon Johnson, DFL-St. Paul. "It's just information."

There is not even one word in the US Constitution or its amendments that even remotely implies a "right" to healthcare.

This is just pure vendetta against WalMart and other conservative companies that won't knuckle under to the liberals' lapdogs (UNIONS). Typical response from a Democrat to "provide information" --- no substantive plan, no action, just bitch, bitch, bitch.

If they're really lucky, Wal Mart will pull out of Minnesota and they won't be bothered with that anymore. IDIOTS

[ConservativeMind]

Aliska, this becomes a perfect opportunity to a local church to come to potentially help. If you are a Christian, there surely are resources available. This is how things were done before the last century and how, I believe, God knows we are helping another from the heart (paying taxes for welfare, for instance, is not from the heart because it is required).

I would suggest finding other places to cut expenses, too, such as perhaps having a roommate, taking public transportation, buying a less expensive car, etc. You may well qualify for food stamps, so you might be able to use that to offset expenses. Also, stop any bad habit in you life, get more exercise, eat more healthy, and take appropriate vitamin-type supplements.

These are just a few approaches to counter the current problematic situation.

I am sorry about the problems you are having. But know there are always options and there is always hope.

[Aliska]

Aliska, this becomes a perfect opportunity to a local church to come to potentially help. If you are a Christian, there surely are resources available. This is how things were done before the last century and how, I believe, God knows we are helping another from the heart (paying taxes for welfare, for instance, is not from the heart because it is required).

That was during a real downer period in my life. My situation is very abnormal, have always had ups and downs, but I've always gotten by somehow without relying on churches, and the only government help I've taken for years is for my mental health care which is paid by the county or I wouldn't get treatment, just prescriptions from regular doctors. My family has been a tremendous help, especially my dear, late father on whom I was a terrible burden. There are people out there who need help far more than I.

I had to get out of my house during one terrible period, and spend nights in motels and at neighbors for two or three weeks. I asked my deacon what the church would have done to help me. I would have felt safest sleeping in a church pew. He said they would have sent me to a shelter. I resented it for awhile. Hispanics are taken by the church all the time, but I couldn't be and being female makes a difference. I have made peace with that now, too. Life isn't fair, and in my tribulations I've been able to be thankful for simple little things like cutting some old beautiful antique roses from a vacant lot that have the most heavenly smell. Technically I suppose I stole them. I missed them when they were in their prime this year.

Finances are more on an even keel now; I do have catastrophic health insurance which my son finally found for me. I am able to buy a few things I want but don't really need and also sometimes help my other family members, so it isn't that bad NOW, especially since I took early regular social security which is not nearly as much as some people get. That helps a lot.

I appreciate your sentiments and will consider your advice. There is one vice I have that giving it up could improve things to some extent. I was able to walk regularly until my last anxiety/depression hit with a vengeance. It made me very physically weak. Some days are pretty good; others I'm not up to doing much. I can never predict in advance how things are going to be. It was that way when I worked, which is one of the reasons I was never able to get ahead. I always got hit with a bad depression again.

I have the intelligence to have done almost anything with my life; I scored in the top 10 percent of all entering freshmen at SUI. After my first breakdown, everything changed and I've just muddled through.

I've just had to learn to live with it. Life doesn't seem so bad now as I learned to fall back on myself and my faith and don't have the expectations others have. There are many broken dreams, but I've made peace about those. I do react when others get knocked down because I identify with their struggles.

There is one thing that still kind of annoys me and that is some people working for the government. I don't resent welfare people like I once did. I blow it off. There are people who work for the government in the higher GS jobs, their spouse works for the government, they already have early military pensions after having served 20 years, and when they retire they can have all that and take a consultant job at very high pay. I resent them more than welfare people, and that is wrong on my part.

[Nowhere Man]

there are times I wonder where I came from. B-)

A good handle you picked, then.

Some old business, "Nowhere Man" is the handle I use on the CB radio, been using it since the 1970's when I was a little kid. I always liked that Beatles' song of the same title. One interesting fact I found out last year about the song is that the Beatles released it on July 8th, 1966, same day I was born. Now, that is really weird. B-)