Categorized | General Interest

Wal-Mart Will Pay For HealthCare

…at least in Maryland. This is a snippet from The New York Times article this a.m.:

Maryland Sets a Health Cost for Wal-Mart

By MICHAEL BARBARO

ANNAPOLIS, Md., Jan. 12 – The Maryland legislature passed a law Thursday that would require Wal-Mart Stores to increase spending on employee health insurance, a measure that is expected to be a model for other states.

The legislature’s move, which overrode a veto by Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich, was a response to growing criticism that Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest private employer, has skimped on benefits and shifted health costs to state governments.

The vote came after a furious lobbying battle by Wal-Mart and by labor and liberal groups, and is likely to encourage lawmakers in dozens of other states who are considering similar legislation.

Many state legislatures have looked to Maryland as a test case, as they face fast-rising Medicaid costs, and Wal-Mart’s critics say that too many of its employees have been forced to turn to Medicaid.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Podcast Available on iTunes

Archives

Archives

Archives