Congressman Miller’s Report: The Hidden Price We All Pay For Wal-Mart The Real Facts About Wal-Mart

Over the last two years, 13 states have disclosed employers that are major users of state provided health insurance programs which are aimed at low-income families. Wal-Mart has topped the list in all the states, except Massachusetts where it was second and Wisconsin, which did not disclose the usage of employers other than Wal-Mart.

Combined, the 13 states disclose that at least 55,000* Wal-Mart employees, children, and spouses are covered by state health insurance programs. A total of 480,000 Wal-Mart employees work in these 12 states, meaning that on average for every nine Wal-Mart employees, at least one Wal-Mart family member is getting state-provided health care.

A total of approximately 505,000 Wal-Mart employees work in these 13 states.

*The figure for Arkansas include forms of public aid other than health care, however Medicaid makes up the primary component.

Alabama: Wal-Mart is the largest user of the state Medicaid program with 3,864 children of employees receiving coverage with an estimated annual state cost of between $5.8 million and $8.2 million a year. Wal-Mart has 37,026 employees in Alabama. Arizona: Wal-Mart is the largest user of KidsCare, a state public health care program for low-income families, with 450 employees and their families enrolled. Wal-Mart has 25,647 employees in Arizona. Arkansas: Wal-Mart is the largest recipient of employee public assistance in Arkansas. A study done by the Arkansas Department of Human Services showed that 3,971 Wal-Mart employees received some sort of state public assistance, primarily Medicaid. Wal-Mart has 44,401 employees in Arkansas. Connecticut: Wal-Mart is the largest user of Connecticut programs for children’s health insurance with 903 children of employees enrolled in the states’ Medicaid and Children’s Health insurance Program. Wal-Mart has 9,082 employees in Connecticut. Florida: Wal-Mart is the largest user of Florida Medicaid and state Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) with 12,300 employees or children of employees enrolled. In addition Wal-Mart accounted for 1,375 employee children enrolled in Kidcare, an additional state-funded children’s health insurance program, bringing the total of disclosed participants to 13,675 employees and dependents. Wal-Mart has 89,109 employees in Florida. Georgia: Wal-Mart is the largest user of PeachCare for Kids, Georgia’s children’s health insurance program, with 10,261 children of employees. Wal-Mart has 49,600 employees in Florida. Iowa: Wal-Mart is the largest user of Iowa’s Medicaid program with 845 employees enrolled. Wal-Mart has 17,249 employees in Iowa. Massachusetts: Wal-Mart is the second largest user of Massachusetts’ public healthcare program with 2,081 employees and children of employees enrolled in MassHealth and Uncompensated Care Pool. Wal-Mart has 11,625 employees in Massachusetts. Tennessee: Wal-Mart is the largest user of the state’s health plan for the poor- TennCare, with 9,617 employees enrolled in the plan. Wal-Mart has 38,621 employees in Tennessee. Texas: Wal-Mart is the largest user of the state Children’s Health Insurance program with 4,363 children of employees enrolled. Wal-Mart has 134,042 employees in Texas. Washington: In March 2003, Wal-Mart was reported as the largest user of one of the state’s family health care plans—Basic Health Plan – with 281 enrolled employees. Wal-Mart has 14,676 employees in Washington. West Virginia: Wal-Mart is the largest user of the state’s Children’s Health Insurance program with 452 children of employees participating in the program. Wal-Mart has 11,790 total employees in West Virginia. Wisconsin: In Wisconsin, 3,765 Wal-Mart employees, children, and spouses participate in BadgerCare, the state’s health insurance program for low-income working families. The annual cost to taxpayers of this BadgerCare coverage was estimated at $4.75 million, with the state covering $1.8 million of that amount. Wal-Mart employs 26,248 employees in Wisconsin.