Wal-Mart Backs Drive to Make Companies Pay for Health Coverage

Wall Street Journal ^ | July 1, 2009 | Janet Adamy, Ann Zimmerman

[Lorianne]

In a major break with most other large companies, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Tuesday told the White House that it supports requiring employers to provide health insurance to workers, a centerpiece of President Barack Obama's effort to provide near-universal coverage to Americans.

The support of Wal-Mart, the nation's largest private employer, could give momentum to one of the most-contentious aspects of legislation taking shape in Congress to fix the health system. To help pay for covering the 46 million uninsured, lawmakers have proposed mandating that all but small employers provide insurance for workers or help pay for it.

Lobbies for large corporations have opposed the idea. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has fought such a mandate, saying it would prompt companies to cut jobs, lower wages and possibly drive them out of business. Wal-Mart -- which provides insurance to employees and wants to level the playing field with companies that don't -- on Tuesday delivered a letter to President Obama taking a different stance.

"We are for an employer mandate which is fair and broad in its coverage," said the letter, signed by Wal-Mart Chief Executive Mike Duke. Andrew Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union, also signed the letter, along with John Podesta, who led President Obama's transition team and is chief executive of the Center for American Progress, a liberal-leaning think tank.

The National Retail Federation, the industry's main lobby, said it was "flabbergasted" by Wal-Mart's move.

[FromLori]

There are two other similar stories too just like this but this one is great!

http://www.businessinsider.com/wal-mart-supports-health-plan-that-will-destroy-small-businesses-2009-6

[Sun]

It seems employers would provide really crappy insurance if they were forced to have it.

I’d rather work for a company that provided healthcare by their own volition, to attract good workers.

[Sun]

So that’s their motive - they want to destroy small businesses.

[Phileleutherus Franciscus]

I’d rather work for a company that provided healthcare by their own volition, to attract good workers.

But that companies provide (tax exempt) health insurance at all is an artifact of the socialist controls imposed during WWII, isn't it?

[ConservativeMind]

Liberals can’t hate Walmart now, except that Walmart will have changed the tables against mandated Medicare for all in favor of employer-sponsored care.

Despite this, I will continue to have no problems shopping at Walmart. It’s not their fault that the whole insurance thing is even on the table. It was only a few years ago that Walmart wasn’t offering insurance to most of its employees, as I recall. Liberals protested and they caved.

[Sun]

I don’t know much about it, but heard that govt.-forced wage controls caused companies to provide health insurance since they couldn’t give their workers higher wages....

BUT I STILL don’t want the govt. to force employers to provide health insurance.

[Hildy]

You got that right.

[FromLori]

and rack up brownie points with the smelly one people forget also hillary was a walmart employee of the century

[Rick_Michael]

At times I truely understand the hatred dems have towards corporate interests; whom seem to put their interests above the individual or pretty-much anyone. I believe in treating business evenly and respectfully, but I don’t believe in mandating the hell out of markets that would be much better with chose (which they dont’ have now).

The ‘public’ (aka government) chose is not a valid option, imo.

[Spktyr]

This is also revenge for Walmart’s competitors getting behind the libs complaining about Walmart’s then-lack of insurance.

[FlingWingFlyer]

...the letter, signed by Wal-Mart Chief Executive Mike Duke. Andrew Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union, also signed the letter, along with John Podesta, who led President Obama's transition team and is chief executive of the Center for American Progress, a liberal-leaning think tank.

It would appear as though some of Obama's boys paid Walmart HQ a visit.

[JDoutrider]

Podesta... figures.

[aquila48]

“So that’s their motive - they want to destroy small businesses.”

Or maybe they traded “no card-check” for this?!

[x_plus_one]

Sam's club offers health insurance plans for employers that are dirt cheap and have limited coverage. You get what you pay for. They don't offer hmo but only ppo type plans with high deductibles. Employers can pay part or all of the employee plan fees. No one gets good coverage without a higher payment.

The upshot is that employee coverage will tank while officer and owner coverage will skyrocket in price.

The total outlay will be close to what a full coverage hmo costs now but service will be based on cash payments to meet the high deductible.

No one wins, we all lose and health care gets more expensive...

[Lorianne]

Wow, savvy move for Wal-Mart.
I’m glad they are doing this.

It will hurt small business, but it will make the very vital point that demanding businesses carry their employee’s health insurance is a bad idea for small business.

[Sun]

Could be.

[wardaddy]

Wal Mart thinks this will be cheaper for them...

Sam would not like this...who is running them now...some noob from somewhere outside Arkansas who ain’t conservative I bet

[Sun]

Thanks for the info. and update on Wal-Mart health insurance.

More than ten years ago, my husband worked for Wal-Mart for more around two years, until he could get a better job. I will say, at that time, the health insurance was excellent, but my husband’s pay was only 50 cents over minimum wage, to start. My husband lost 20 lbs. in two years from working so hard a Wal-Mart, and only earned peanuts.