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A year after Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott joined a coalition with other corporations and the SEIU to advocate for national health care reform, the New York Times reports that the mega-chain, long-renowned for keeping health coverage out of reach of most employees, is actually insuring more workers than better-regarded rivals such as Target. Some health plans cost employees as little as $11 per month and some prescriptions are available for $4. The company is even considering offering cheap health insurance as a product for its customers. According to the the Times, Scott was heavily influenced by Democratic politicians who called for change at the company, and worked on the issue with Bill Clinton and Kathleen Sebelius, the governor of Kansas. Here are some details:
Last year, it cut the waiting time for part-timers to become eligible for coverage, from two years to one. Nearly half of Wal-Mart’s part-time workers are now eligible, compared with just 30 percent in 2003, according to internal company data. The share of part-timers enrolled in company plans has more than doubled to about 11 percent.For 2008, all employees can choose from an array of plans, which the company hopes will allow even more workers to find one that suits their needs. Individual deductibles range from $350 to $2,000, and employees can choose plans with health care “credits” to use for routine care. Those credits are largely paid for through higher premiums.The company eliminated onerous fees like $150 monthly for covering a spouse and cut out separate deductibles, like an additional $1,000 for a hospital stay.But don't get too excited -- over half of Wal-Mart employees remain uninsured. Corporate America, repeat after me: Universal health care needed. Universal health care needed. Universal health care needed. Soon.--Dana Goldstein
