Walmart Employees to Get Certain Surgeries at No Cost

by Nate Wooley | October 12, 2012 9:12 am

Walmart (NYSE:WMT[1]), the world’s largest retailer, is offering something new for its employees. A plan by the retailer will offer employees some expensive surgeries at no charge at some of the most prestigious hospitals in the country.

The program is called Centers of Excellence, reports The Huffington Post[2]. Employees who are enrolled in Walmart’s health plan will not have to pay for surgeries including open-heart surgery, spinal fusion and some organ transplants. Enrolled family members are included as well.  The benefit will cost nothing out-of-pocket, and some travel costs for family members are covered as well.

Walmart has negotiated the arrangement with six healthcare centers including The Mayo Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic, and the Geisinger Medical Center.

The company believes it can save money by offering its employees top care and therefore cut down on expensive surgical complications during aftercare. To qualify for the program, medical centers must have an excellent track record of quality healthcare and a lack of complications.

The program begins in 2013.  Walmart currently has 1.1 million employees enrolled in its healthcare plan across the United States.

More from health care:

• Elder Care: An Unavoidable Issue for Everyone[3]
• Tax Penalty to Hit 6 Million Americans[4]
• Popular Medicare Drug Plans to See Double-Digit Premium Hike[5]

Source URL: http://investorplace.com/2012/10/walmart-employees-to-get-certain-surgeries-at-no-cost/
Short URL: http://investorplace.com/?p=244018

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