What People Are Saying

"With seven million Californians going without health insurance, and millions more concerned about the rapidly rising cost of healthcare, our newest location within Walmart will offer consumers from West Sacramento and the surrounding communities the ability to access quality medical care delivered by a physician at a price they can afford to pay, in a location they will already frequent"

“Walmart currently has more [than] 615,000 employees in America enrolled in its health-insurance plans, providing coverage to more than one million people. Because of its size, Walmart has been able to use its clout to lower prices paid by its employees for doctor visits and medications, providing, according to a Walmart spokesman, significant savings. One year ago the company offered a new, lower price package to its employees which gave them medical coverage for as little as $11 per month. Such plans are available to both full time and part time employees who have been with the company for at least one year. This is not the norm in the retailing sector, where most part time workers receive no benefits.”

“I learned Walmart has some of the best health care benefits in the retail industry. There are more than 18 different plans to choose from. With the Value Plan, monthly premiums are $25 for an individual, $37 for a single parent, and $65 for a family. Part-time employees are eligible for health insurance after one year of service.”

“And [Walmart’s] health-care benefits are a good deal more accessible, … , than those of many of its competitors. Target, for instance—unlike Walmart, to which it is often compared—does not offer ben­efits to part-timers. A recent report on the company by Jason Furman, a visiting scholar and health-care official, dubbed Walmart a ‘progressive success story,’ noting that ‘more Walmart employees are eligible for health insurance than in the retail sector as a whole and even slightly more than the nationwide total.’”

“Mark Miller, analyst at William Blair & Co., says [Walmart’s benefits changes are] a step in the right direction and may even make financial sense for Walmart because it could improve morale. ‘You can't look at health-care costs as an individual item,’ he says. ‘After all, it is one that has potentially related benefits like better customer service and creating a better shopping environment.’”