Walmart Raises Price of Healthcare Plans

Walmart maintains its low prices on the backs of workers. Reuters reports:

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

That’s a huge increase. Though Walmart itself claims it will be raising average costs only 4 percent, for low wage workers, either is devastating. Coming on the heels of August’s second quarter earnings report that showed a 5.7% increase in profit, it’s indefensible.