Though I've never mentioned it on my blog before, I do NOT shop at Wal-Mart and I haven't for years. I won't attempt to convince you that their labor and business practices are evil, just do some searching on the internet and you'll find that they aren't nearly as "small town" and "worker" friendly as they claim to be.
I had heard about this story a few weeks back, an example of their pathetic greed. A brain damaged woman who paid Wal-Mart for her insurance, whose insurance paid out after a devastating accident, then a corporate entity that sued to recover all of her damages awarded in a law suit to repay themselves for her health care. I'd feel differently if she hadn't been an employee paying for her insurance (and not cheap, overly subsidized healthcare either) - she was entitled to those benefits. And now that she will live out her life in a nursing home which generally costs upwards of $36,000 - $48,000 a year, that lawsuit settlement money was not going to be used by her family to buy new cars, or a boat, or a vacation home - it was going to go to her lifelong care. If that money is taken by Wal-Mart, this poor family has no funds to pay for her care. So in the end, Medicaid would be forced to pay because unless you're independently wealthy, no one can afford long term nursing care. And as a former nursing home inspector, I can tell you that when Medicaid is footing the bills, your options in choice of a care facility are limited.
I'm just thankful that the enormous response mounted by consumers and citizens who heard of this convinced Wal-Mart to reconsider. What happened to taking care of our employees? Since when has greed replaced humanity?? Of course I haven't changed my mind about Wal-Mart, don't think for a minute that they wouldn't have changed their mind had the negative press not been so overwhelming.
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