Walmart Announces Health Insurance Cuts
Despite record profits, Walmart have decided that they will no longer offer health insurance to fresh part-time workers in the U.S who are working less than 24 hours per week. Walmart, which is the largest private employer in the U.S, has been making the health insurance benefit available to their part-time employees since 1996, regardless of how many hours they were working each week.
Walmart are also finding other ways to lower their healthcare spending: They are going to start putting half as much money into employee’s healthcare expense accounts (which is money for expenses that are not covered by their health insurance).
Employees that smoke are going to have their insurance premiums increased by 40%. Walmart spokesman Greg Rossiter said: “Tobacco users consume 25% more health care services than non-tobacco users”. He also added: “The current healthcare system is unsustainable for everyone. Like other businesses, we've had to make some tough choices. Our country needs to find the way to reduce the cost of healthcare, particularly in this economy”.
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James Savery, 21 June 2013