Chicago Public Radio

Official: Wal-Mart Wants Health Plan to Cover Illegal Aliens
Produced by Chip Mitchell on Monday, July 27, 2009

A top Wal-Mart executive visiting Chicago says the retail giant wants health-care reform to cover immigrants who lack authorization to be in the United States.

Wal-Mart broke from most other big U.S. companies last month by announcing support for requiring employers to provide a medical plan to workers. That’s a key component of President Barack Obama’s planned health-care overhaul.

Now a Wal-Mart senior vice-president says the Arkansas-based company supports something else.

Dr. John Agwunobi heads a Wal-Mart unit that includes the company’s health clinics. He spoke Sunday in Chicago on a health-care reform panel at a convention of the National Council of La Raza, a Latino civil-rights group. The moderator posed this question:

MODERATOR: What about health-care coverage for undocumented immigrants?

Dr. Agwunobi described Wal-Mart’s position.

AGWUNOBI: We believe strongly that everyone should have access to affordable health insurance. Everyone.

Unlike the Wal-Mart executive, President Obama last week said illegal immigrants should not get coverage. The only exception, he said, is children.

Update: Wal-Mart is backpedaling on Dr. John Agwunobi’s comments. Listen to an extended version of the comments. HERE