Wal-Mart embraces the employer mandate.
Wal-Mart embraces the employer mandate.
Today, Wal-Mart, the largest private employer in the country wrote a letter (along with the Center for American Progress and SEIU) to the Obama administration expressing its support for the employer mandate:
We are for an employer mandate which is fair and broad in its coverage, but any alternative to an employer mandate should not create barriers to hiring entry level employees….Support for a mandate also requires the strongest possible commitment to rein in health care costs.
Read the full letter HERE.
As the Hill’s Jeffery Young observes, “The decision by Wal-Mart to break away from the Chamber and its ilk marks the first visible crack in the business coalition on healthcare reform.” Indeed, Wal-Mart’s embrace of the employer mandate enhances the existing system of employer-based coverage, levels the playing field between employers and preserves the employer contribution that will help finance health care reform. The Wonk Room has much more here.
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Hokey smoke Bullwinkle! The largest employer in the US realizes that public health care will lower their bottom line!
June 30th, 2009 at 4:54 pmI’ll be dammed. I wonder whats going in Walmart’s boardroom?
June 30th, 2009 at 4:55 pmnanny nanny boo boo FML. I got the first comment.
And judging by yours, about 457 others will make more sense than yours.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:55 pmWhy isn’t FLEAMARKETREPIGGIE serving in the military in Afghanistan right now?
June 30th, 2009 at 5:01 pmWhy isn’t FLEAMARKETREPIGGIE serving in the military in Afghanistan right now?
Because the military has a requirement that intelligence levels have to be higher than a toaster?
June 30th, 2009 at 5:03 pmFreeMarketLiberal, George Soros just told me that, since I’m in Big Business’s pocket now, I need to start buying Walmart-brand toilet paper. The local brand is so comfortable though. Can you give me the advice I need?
June 30th, 2009 at 5:03 pmStunning.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:04 pmIf Wally World paid their people a LIVING WAGE instead of a pittance, then wouldn’t need a Union.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:04 pmI hear that the military has really lowered its mental capability bar for enlistment.
I think that FLEAMARKETREPIGGIE would be an excellent addition to that crack fighting force of hetero he-men battling the Taliban for the future of Christianity.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:05 pmI heard a while back that MalWart was setting up their own medical clinics in store, and that the project was a gigantic flop.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:07 pmPerhaps their ‘health plan’ will require employees to visit their own store ‘clinic’…
There’s gotta be a catch…
Just wanted to point this out – Unless things have changed, Wal-Mart runs it’s own health insurance. Claims are processed in Arkansas – Why would Walmart support this? Well, it would appear that if they do still run their own health plan they would benefit by making their employees buy health insurance FROM THEM!
June 30th, 2009 at 5:07 pmnicki ~ heh…
June 30th, 2009 at 5:08 pmI am absolutely amazed that every major employer would not be 100% behind a public option for health insurance since it would lower their operating costs (or keep the flack down when they don’t offer insurance).
When anywhere from 15-30% of business operation involves paying out for health insurance, why aren’t businesses clamoring for the public option?
Or is the Chamber of Commerce that powerful?
June 30th, 2009 at 5:09 pmGreat – hope more companies follow Walmart’s example. Wow, two goodies in one day – first Norm Colemen concedes to Al Franken and now this? Let healthcare reform begin.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:09 pmJim Wolf @ 10,
AMEN, AMEN, AMEN.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:11 pmUS Chamber sits
June 30th, 2009 at 5:13 pmAcross the street from White House
Power or honor?
Hoodathunktick says:
My employer is a good example of that shortsighted thinking. He’s told us that if it passes, were on our own. When I tried to explain to him how it could lower our costs, he said I’d be the first one who loses coverage. Sad.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:16 pmMy small employer and I put over $400 a month into health insurance, just for me. We have about 20 employees in my company. This is to support a health insurance industry that operates with how much overhead?
Since we, as a nation pay over twice what other civilized countries do for health care, if my boss could cut his health insurance expenditure in half, how much more competitive could he be?
Now multiply that by WalMart, GE, Lockheed, GM, Ford and all of the other employers.
And we want to continue to support the health insurance industry why?
June 30th, 2009 at 5:21 pmSince WalMart’s currently healthcare strategy is to actively help their lowest paid workers apply for Medicaid, and they carefully tailor their hours so that they qualify for the threshold, they are simply planning to shift from one publicly funded plan to another.
I never, never shop at WalMart, and unless they become more worker-friendly, I never will. I don’t need that cheap crap anyway, and even the stuff with “made in USA” isn’t. The GNOP made sure they had a legal right to lie to the public… remember Abramoff/sweat shop stuff?
PEACE
June 30th, 2009 at 5:23 pmWe are for an employer mandate which is fair and broad in its coverage, but any alternative to an employer mandate should not create barriers to hiring entry level employees
I recently talked to a walmart employee that I’ve known for years. According to him, walmart is trying to rid themselves of all their full time help and have only part-timers.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:26 pmFree market liberal, you come on this blog for a reason. My guess is that you know that dems and the left are the way to go. All you do is say stupid shit to try and derail a thread.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:36 pmYour party is history. I get so much enjoyment watching you rightwingnuts go fcking nuts because your meaningless. STFU. Also you being a wingnut i suggest that while your on your PC you might want to look out your kitchen window and see if your wife is fcking your neighbor.
I payed to have letters hand delivered to my senators today. Guess you could say that came out of my stimulus check.
I said, “I know you know that the public option is a compromise and that single-payer has proven itself many times over. I also know that without campaign reform, even an incumbent needs a lot of money to win….If you and your fellow senators represent by passing the public option, then all you’ll have to do in the next election is say, “Hi. I’m ______________ and I brought you health care.”
I’ve had mixed feelings about paying to speak to my representatives, but it does say I’m willing to pay.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:37 pmSo the aggressive company Walmart found that the plan will be beneficial to their ledger sheets. When will the other companies admit it ?
And did Free Market Liberal (comment 2) come out and call Walmart “Cheap” ? What does FML have against capitalism ? Love ‘m or hate ‘em or both – Walmart is a company that has done extremely well by aggressively pursuing the tenets of capitalism.
Has FML been reading Ho Chi Min ?
June 30th, 2009 at 5:43 pmThe first thought that occurred to me is : “OK, what’s the catch?”
June 30th, 2009 at 5:53 pmWhy isn’t FLEAMARKETREPIGGIE serving in the military in Afghanistan right now?
Because he’s a chickenhawk – like so many of his idols…
June 30th, 2009 at 5:55 pmBecause he’s fourteen years old. He’s mimicking the parents that don’t listen to him.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:56 pmWe should constantly demand enlistment in the military for FLEAMARKETREPIGGIE.
There is no excuse for these right-wing warmongers to sit out the conflicts that they inflict on some many helpless innocents.
Stop debating with the jerk; he is tone-deaf.
June 30th, 2009 at 6:13 pmOther stores have been starting to follow the Wal-Mart model of operations. They are doing things such as putting in grocery departments. The most recognizable of these is Target. I look to see Target following Wal-Mart’s example on the health care issue. If they do, then, I’m sure that others will fall into line, too.
June 30th, 2009 at 6:48 pmThe time has come for the Federal Government to get involved in the US healthcare. The costs are beginning to affect everyone’s bottom line. When the corporate bottom line is affected things are bound to move, whether it follows the GOP line or not. It turns out that reforming healthcare is good for business.
What is irritating is the effect it has had on my bottom line for quite a while.
June 30th, 2009 at 6:57 pmSo the Walton family is FOR HMO MANDATES. What a surprise. How much do you think they are invested in MHOs?
June 30th, 2009 at 7:08 pmThe current system of employer based HMO PPO coverage is a catastrophe. It is a RIP OFF. This is NOT good news. HMO mandates are WRONG. SINGLE PAYER NATIONAL HEALTH,or at least EXPAND MEDICARE MEDICAID AND FUND THOSE TRULY PUBLIC PROGRAMS ADEQUATELY!!!! RETURN TO PROGRESSIVE TAXATION! Make sure the billionaires are paying their fair share. Warren Buffet revealed not too long ago that he was paying effectively 19% in taxes while his secretary was paying 30%. NO REPUBLIC CAN EXIST WITHOUT PROGRESSIVE TAXATION. Otherwise you have disparity in wealth and stratification of society. Without EQUALITY there is no republic
I don’t give 2 sh|ts what Wal*Mart says. They are c0cksucking liars and will always be c0cksucking liars!!
They will sign and say anything to get their way!!!! I don’t and never will trust these GODLESS CORPORATE FACIST!!!!
Their words and signatures are completly useless and totaly untrustworthy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 30th, 2009 at 7:30 pmI’ll believe it when Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor actually VOTE to pass the measures that Wal-Mart now says it supports.
June 30th, 2009 at 10:32 pmOther stores have been starting to follow the Wal-Mart model of operations. They are doing things such as putting in grocery departments. The most recognizable of these is Target. I look to see Target following Wal-Mart’s example on the health care issue. If they do, then, I’m sure that others will fall into line, too.
July 1st, 2009 at 2:49 amWalmart treats their employees like Sh*t. I remembered in the 90’s when we had a blizzard and three days we had a State of Pennsylvania was in a state of Emergency, no one was allowed to be opened, well Walmart was and would not allow their employees to leave because of the weather condition. That was so wrong. I work retail and trust me I would not work for a store who would not allow them to eat lunch. They had law suites after law suites. They were fined many times allowing a minor to work past the five hour mark.
July 1st, 2009 at 7:30 amAnd they also hope the employer mandate will produce the over-priced premiums their employees cannot afford and the shabby coverage that requires many a Walmart workers to rely on Medicaid.
There should be a government mandate to cover all Americans so domestic industries can compete with the civilized world.
July 1st, 2009 at 7:56 amOf course Wal-Mart supports this! Just like with everything else they can insure their workers at a vaolume discount and be at a competitive advantage over mom & pops. Do you people ever stop to actually think?
July 1st, 2009 at 7:58 amWal-Mart doesn’t provide their employees affordable health benefits anyway. They direct them on how to apply for government programs, like the child health insurance program that almost every state has.
July 1st, 2009 at 8:57 amWallmart—LOL
July 1st, 2009 at 12:33 pmThe catch is they will use the government funded employer mandated health insurance to increase their bottom line and slaughter the competition…….umm, its common sense.
July 2nd, 2009 at 12:00 am