Wal-Mart Employees to Pay More for Health-Care Plans

Wal-Mart Employees to Pay More for Health-Care Plans

Wal-Mart is getting hit with higher health insurance costs.

The article says 8% - 36% price increases will be coming and it's because of rising costs for "care".

The result is causing some employees to drop the plans.

The highest increases seem to be for family coverage.

Wal-Mart Stores' U.S. employees will pay between 8 percent and 36 percent more in premiums for its medical coverage in 2013, prompting some of the 1.4 million workers at the nation's largest private employer to say they will forego coverage altogether.

In mailings sent to employees for its recently completed open-enrollment period, Wal-Mart noted that its rates would increase because health-care costs continue to rise.

For its most popular plan, which covers individuals, the payment per bi-weekly paycheck is going up by $2, or 13 percent. Other plans will see larger increases as the world's largest retailer, known for low prices, tries to control its own costs.

Wal-Mart Employees to Pay More for Health-Care Plans

Since Wal-Mart jobs are mostly low pay, I bet the employees will qualify for Medicaid if available and when it becomes available on a larger scale in their respective States.


The Supreme Court ruled that States don't have to participate in Medicaid expansion.
But some States are already moving towards PPACA medicaid.....

Over the past two years, five states have quietly executed the Affordable Care Act’s largest coverage expansion to date, extending benefits to more than 500,000 Americans.

It’s not the high risk pools, nor is it the end to pre-existing conditions for kids. Instead, these five states have increased coverage by voluntarily participating in the health law’s Medicaid expansion early. That’s the exact same provision a number of Republican governors are now choosing not to implement.

The health law’s Medicaid expansion does not officially start until Jan. 1, 2014. It did, however, give states the option of starting enrollment even earlier. Five states – California, Connecticut, Minnesota, New Jersey and Washington — as well as the District of Columbia took the Obama administration up on the offer......

Obamacare's Medicaid expansion already covering a half-million Americans

Now all the States' and Federal taxpayers have to do is pay for the overflow somehow

A lot of states are going to forgo the Medicaid expansion.

But, anyhow, with what I know about retail and how much they charge for medical insurance, these folks would qualify for the state exchanges because of the over 8% rule.

WalMart provides benefits?

reply to post by babybunnies


Just don't complain/raise any issues with management or your fired, lol.

Nothing wrong with this at all.

It's a basic premise of business. If your costs go up, your employees take home goes down.

reply to post by xuenchen


Two Dollars a week, and your Family can seek Medical Attention now.

That Obama is a Horrible , Horrible Man.

Must be a Socialist for sure.

It was my understanding that a lot of Wal-Mart employees already qualified for medicare and that Wal-Mart's health insurance options were already well out of reach to most of their low-wage employees.

Wal-Mart screwing over its employees is nothing new this is just another excuse for it.

Originally posted by Tw0Sides
reply to post by xuenchen

 

Two Dollars a week, and your Family can seek Medical Attention now.

That Obama is a Horrible , Horrible Man.

Must be a Socialist for sure.

:shk: Republicans can't help now ...... you will have to deal with ObamaCare "as is" .... no repairs.


But let's look closer at your $2 argument.

the payment per bi-weekly paycheck is going up by $2, or 13 percent.

That means the bi-weekly payment is already around $15 right ?

Somebody making a low wage will think twice. That's what's happening.

Now perhaps you can explain what happens if a State doesn't participate in the Medicaid expansion ?

Do the Feds cover ? Or are people "left out" ?

What does PPACA say ? Or is it up to HHS "discretion" ?

How will a State's non participation affect the mandated insurance requirement ?

reply to post by xuenchen


And Walmart will be leaving the US Gov to pick up the tab.
They are the exact definition of Commies.

Using Commie Chinese Labor and having the tax payer foot the bill for Healthcare

Honestly, is anyone here surprised??? This false dichotomy of Republican versus Democrat is a mere illusion to allow the two to collaborate in the dark corners of the chambers of government and enrich themselves. Has anyone ever asked themselves why average-income junior Representatives or Senators come out millionaires?

This is a corporate win either side of the argument. Wal-Mart reduces costs by simply paying the fine and shedding insures. Insurance companies win because insurance is required so now the government by fiat has "created" customers. The government wins by collecting fees and "taxes" from those who cannot or will not comply. And WE, THE TAXPAYER - The middle class - end up bearing ALL of the costs!

Ain't THAT cool!?

And that fact that people re-elected the tyrant that architected this...

I have a friend that his wife has her own business where she hags wallpaper but for years she has worked part time for Wal-Mart so she could get health insurance. The last time I talked to her she was saying she can’t wait for the new bill to into place because she will be able to afford insurance on her own and can leave Wal-Mart. She lost money by working there when she could have been dedicating the time to her business.

reply to post by xuenchen


Let no forget that what almost bankrupted Massachusetts from where Obamacare is modeled was the out of pocket expenses, see is not and has never been regulation for cost and neither the amount of money that individuals have to come out with in co pays and out of pocket expenses.

After all Massachusetts got bailed out by the Fed and Obama, but who is going to bailout the Fed and Obama now.



That 15 dollar or 2 dollar insurance "that is nothing but a lie" will be overshadow when people have to shed money on the side, Medicaid is been already cut in many states due to over use of the system.

Originally posted by Grimpachi
I have a friend that his wife has her own business where she hags wallpaper but for years she has worked part time for Wal-Mart so she could get health insurance. The last time I talked to her she was saying she can’t wait for the new bill to into place because she will be able to afford insurance on her own and can leave Wal-Mart. She lost money by working there when she could have been dedicating the time to her business.

Do you happen to know the name of "the new bill to into place" that will make her "able to afford insurance on her own" ?

Unless she qualifies for Medicaid, the rates could be much much more "on her own" ....right ?

If her own business pays for it, it could be much much more ....right ?

Or am I missing your point completely ?

Originally posted by TheAngryFarm
Nothing wrong with this at all.

It's a basic premise of business. If your costs go up, your employees take home goes down.

In principle that's true but Walmart has been letting the Fed pick up the tab for years.

Wal-Mart increases Medicaid expenditures by an average of $898 per employee, according to a study presented on Friday at a conference held by the company to examine the impact of Wal-Mart on the U.S. economy, the New York Times reports (Greenhouse, New York Times, 11/5). Wal-Mart held the conference, called "An In-Depth Look at Wal-Mart and Society," to address criticism of wages, health benefits and workplace policies and "examine its effect on jobs, inflation and income growth,"

According to the study, Medicaid expenditures increase by 1.5% for every 1% that the market share of Wal-Mart increases in a state. The study also found government cash aid to families decreases by 3.3% for every 1% that the market share of Wal-Mart increases in a state. The studies also indicate that Wal-Mart decreases wages in the communities in which it operates,

www.medicalnewstoday.com...

Originally posted by marg6043
reply to post by xuenchen

 

Let no forget that what almost bankrupted Massachusetts from where Obamacare is modeled was the out of pocket expenses, see is not and has never been regulation for cost and neither the amount of money that individuals have to come out with in co pays and out of pocket expenses.

After all Massachusetts got bailed out by the Fed and Obama, but who is going to bailout the Fed and Obama now.

That 15 dollar or 2 dollar insurance "that is nothing but a lie" will be overshadow when people have to shed money on the side, Medicaid is been already cut in many states due to over use of the system.

edit on 12-11-2012 by marg6043 because: (no reason given)

Your facts are wrong. George W. Bush bailed out Massachussetts.

Way back in 1985, under then-Gov. Michael Dukakis, Massachusetts set up a program called the Uncompensated Care Pool. Much like the name suggests, the pool is used to finance health care for those without insurance. Massachusetts financed the plan largely through assessments on hospitals and insurers. Under Romney’s administration In 2004, each industry paid in about $157 million to keep the pool running. That plan still operates today — under the name Health Safety Net – and covers health care needs that Massachusetts residents cannot afford.

Since the late 1990s, Massachusetts has also received additional Medicaid funds to enroll populations that other states traditionally do not cover. In 2005, when Romney was governor, the federal aid amounted to $550 million. As former Romney adviser John McDonough explains in his book “Inside Health Policy,” the funds were crucial to laying the foundation for universal health coverage. He takes us back to 2005, when the George W. Bush administration was getting ready to end that special funding arrangement:

Five years later, it’s largely federal funding that keeps Massachusetts’ universal coverage afloat. Since 2005, the state has twice renewed that federal waiver — the one Lizza and McDonough wrote about — to provide additional Medicaid dollars to the state.

The most recent renewal was last December 2011, when the state secured $26.75 billion in federal funds over the course of three years. It will, among other programs, continue to finance the universal coverage program.

So Massachusetts used not just federal Medicaid money but federal dollars above and beyond that Medicaid money to finance their health reforms.

www.washingtonpost.com...

Easy solution. Just increase the minimum wage like it should have been some time ago. The cost of goods and services go up every year, and so should wages.

reply to post by elouina


Doesn't really work you have to tie minimum wage to the rate of inflation. This has the effect of negating the inevitable cost savings techniques that employers implement to avoid losing in the profit margin.

reply to post by elouina


Kitty at the center of the universe, you should read Jon William primer on the CPI (consumer price index and see how this official inflation calculator is really worthless today. Wages have been gutted by inflation; SSI payout have been gutted by using phony unrealistic CPI calculations...

www.shadowstats.com...


All the things you were afraid to ask about the government official numbers in a 5 part series ... good read

www.shadowstats.com...

Wal Mart is not doing anything new and the more I read stories like this, I begin to think that Obamacare benefits employers, the IRS and is a nice "gimmie" for the insurance companies.

Missouri: In early 2011, Walmart led all employers with 10,028 employees and their dependents enrolled in Missouri’s Medicaid program, known as MO HealthNet (MHN). Enrollees included 2,403 employees, 827 employee spouses, and 6,798 children of employees.[8]

Even for employees who are eligible for coverage from Walmart, the costs of the plans that the company offers are unaffordable for many hourly associates, who earn an average of just $8.81 per hour.[11] Walmart’s 2012 Associate Benefits Book, distributed to employees, advertises Medicaid and CHIP premium assistance programs for employees who eligible for Walmart’s health insurance but are “unable to afford the premiums.” The book then lists contact information for assistance programs by state.[

Source

reply to post by xuenchen


Since they don't provide it for anybody below management, this is only about twenty percent of the employees, the others; we're gonna pay for almost all of the cashiers are on welfare/medicaid as it is now...so who the hell cares about management they're such A$^$$#s anyway so they deserve it!