Immediate Release Contact: Chris Kofinis 202-486-6422

WakeUpWalMart.com Statement on Wal-Mart's Announcement of A Pilot Generic Drug Program

The following statement is attributable to Paul Blank, campaign director for WakeUpWalMart.com:

"While lowering prescription drug costs is a good thing, Wal-Mart cruelly ignores the fact that it fails to provide company health care to over half (775,000) of its employees which leaves 46 percent of its workers children uninsured or on public health care.

Even worse, the Wal-Mart health care crisis will continue to cost American taxpayers over $1.2 billion every year and is projected to cost taxpayers $9.1 billion over the next five years. Tragically, Wal-Mart wants the American people to ignore the fact its so-called low prices come at a high cost to its workers, children, and their families.

Wal-Mart needs to answer one very simple, but serious question - why not just improve the health care coverage of its employees?

The truth is that the Wal-Mart health care crisis grows everyday, and sadly this prescription drug initiative will not insure one additional Wal-Mart employee, one uninsured child, or reduce the billions of cost for taxpayers."