The Los Angeles Times reported on March 7th, 2013 that unions are upset at Wal-Mart for trying to sell health plans to the public when the health exchange, known as Covered California, opens up in October of this year. The unions feel that it is wrong for Wal-Mart to profit on the sales of health plans to the uninsured and under insured when they do not offer, what the unions feel are, those same quality benefits to many of it's own employees. Wal-Mart is just one of many retail stores that are trying to set up selling insurance plans through Covered California for a profit of $58 per member for every successful application.
I understand the unions complaint, but the bigger picture here is that the "assisters" that will be selling these plans have no incentive to make sure they guide their applicants in the right direction. If they are getting paid just to sign someone up and they get to walk away from the applicant, they will sign them up on the easiest and fastest plan, not checking to see if their doctor is in that plans network or if their drugs are part of the formulary. There is no incentive to sit with an individual and make sure they fully understand the products that are available. To make matters worse the "assisters" will be receiving one days worth of training. Most wont fully understand what they are selling to begin with.
Insurance is already confusing for most people anyway. This will make it worse! If you know anyone that might be interested in purchasing a plan from the exchange, please send them to a broker that can fully explain what they are getting and how it will work for them before they need to use it and are stuck.
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