Wal-Mart says that employees will begin paying more for health care coverage in 2013. Premiums are expected to rise between 8 and 36%, prompting some employees to say that they will opt out of health coverage altogether. The company says that the increases are necessary due to increases in health care costs. About half of Wal-Mart's employees in the United States sign up for health care plans, but as costs rise many say that they could barely afford the plans in the first place on their salaries. Wal-Mart workers also have to work 30 hours a week before they qualify for the plan.
See "Wal-Mart employees to pay more for health care plans", Jessica Wohl, Reuters, November 12, 2012