California wants Wal-Mart employees to help consumers enroll in healthcare expansion

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http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-healthcare-walmart-20130307,0,7440164.story

Covered California's plan to partner with Wal-Mart is criticized
The state wants retail workers to help consumers enroll in healthcare expansion. Critics say Wal-Mart does not provide adequate health coverage and shouldn't be advising consumers on the matter.
By Chad Terhune, Los Angeles Times
March 7, 2013, 2:59 a.m.

California officials face mounting criticism from union leaders over plans to let retail giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc. enroll shoppers in President Obama's healthcare expansion.

The state wants employees at Wal-Mart and other retailers to help consumers learn about their options and assist them in buying federally subsidized private insurance. These plans are part of state efforts to implement the federal healthcare law and reach out to 5 million Californians eligible for new coverage starting in January.

Labor unions as well as some consumer advocates protest the idea of government officials partnering with Wal-Mart and paying for its help. They contend that the nation's largest retailer has no place advising others on health coverage when so many of its workers don't qualify for company benefits and end up in taxpayer-funded programs such as Medi-Cal.

"We are appalled and offended that the exchange would contemplate partnering with Wal-Mart and other retailers notorious for failing to provide health benefits to many of their workers and providing substandard benefits to the workers who do qualify," said James Araby, executive director of the United Food & Commercial Workers Union's Western States Council. "That is highly contradictory to the mission of the program."

[Teamster Jeff]

1. Who's the genius that came up with that horrible idea

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. From the point of view of the state

It's not crazy. My county alone has eight Wallmart's and two Sam's Clubs. Som are in areas the county's nearest office is an hour away.

I would prefer they did not, but I doubt the local Labor Council has that kind of reach.

I am sure that is the reason, reach.

[HiPointDem]

4. I doubt it. Post offices also have reach. So do government offices. The idea is to give kickbacks

to walmart, and i'm sure walmart thought of it first.

[Puzzledtraveller]

3. I'm a Medicaid caseworker

In my state we will also be determining eligibility for the subsidy as well as aid consumers in purchasing through the exchange. It require a lot of training and we have access to VERY confidential information. So this idea is unbelievably stupid, if not illegal under some states laws.

[LiberalFighter]

5. Agreed. I don't think Walmart should have additional access to personal info.

What is the likelihood that they would abuse the data?