Walmart expands program for workers' out-of-pocket costs

Walmart said it would expand a program that eliminates out-of-pocket costs and covers travel expenses for its workers who seek care at certain hospitals.

Walmart, which first launched the program in 1996 for transplant surgery, said it expanded the effort to include certain heart and spine surgeries.

“In providing this service at no cost to its enrolled associates, Walmart has worked with these Centers of Excellence health systems to provide exclusive and unique bundled pricing arrangements for these types of procedures,” the company said in a news release (PDF).

Mayo Clinic locations in Rochester, Minn., Scottsdale, Ariz., Phoenix and Jacksonville, Fla., will offer transplants under the program.

The Cleveland Clinic; the Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pa.; Scott & White Memorial Hospital, Temple, Texas; and Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, will provide cardiac surgeries.

The Springfield, Mo.-based Mercy Hospital Springfield; Scott & White Memorial Hospital and Virginia Mason Medical Center will handle spine surgeries for the program.

Patients and a caregiver will receive travel, lodging and food under the program and patients' care will be fully covered with no deductibles, Walmart said.