This is not a law that targets WalMart or any other company with 10,000 or more employees.
No one really knew how much WalMart spent on Health Care for their employees in Maryland. We certainly do not know how much (if anything) it will owe the state in response to the Fair Share Law.
All we can go by is the company testimony before the Maryland General Assembly and recent legal filings.
2004 Testimony
Ms. Allison D. Garrett, Esq
Vice President of Benefits, Compliance, and Planning
WalMart Stores, Inc.
Bentonville, AK
As heard during the hearing for SB 715 in the Senate Finance Committee on February 27, 2004 found 1:31:52 into the hearing.
[Click here for AUDIO EXCERPT ]
Senator Middleton: "What percentage of your payroll in Maryland is going to health care?"
Ms. Garrett: "Our rough estimate is that we are spending about 5% of our payroll on health care."
Senator Middleton: "What would 3% of payroll (8% - 5% = 3%) mean for you?"
Ms. Garrett: "I don't know the dollar amount."
2005 Testimony
Ms. Lisa Woods
Director in the Benefits Department
WalMart Stores, Inc
Bentonville, AK
As heard during the hearing for SB 790 in the Senate Finance Committee on March 2, 2005
[Click here for AUDIO EXCERPT ]
"The heart of SB 790 involves how much is spent on medical care…
As a self-insured plan here in Maryland, this amounts to approximately 7 to 8 percent of our companies total payroll despite what you may have heard or read in recent weeks by Giant and others related to our total payroll percentage being 3% or 4%."
Mr. Gregory Goggans
Director of United States Benefits Design
WalMart Stores, Inc.
Bentonville, AK
Declaration of Gregory Goggans (click here) in RILA vs. Fielder (i.e., the Fair Share Health Care Lawsuit brought by WalMart's trade group)
"I have held my current position since July 2003. During that period, WalMart has never made contributions to the health care plans offered to its Maryland employees that were equal to or greater than 8% of "total compensation" (as that term is defined in the Act) paid to Maryland employees."
Statement of Uncontroverted Material Facts
RILA vs Fielder
Submitted by J. Joseph Curran, Jr.
Attorney General of Maryland
RILA "understands that Wal-Mart contributed approximately 5.7% of its State payroll to health benefit plans covering its employees in the State in calender year 2005." See Ex. 3, Response to Requests for Admission No. 7.
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