From the Wall Street Journal:

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. next year will curtail options it offers newly hired workers for health-care coverage, promoting a low-premium, high-deductible plan.

The retailer anticipates its "Value Plan" will let employees with few health-care needs save money through low premiums. Critics, however, argue the shift allows Wal-Mart to cut its costs for health-care benefits and discourage unhealthy people from seeking work at its stores.

[...]

In the U.S., Wal-Mart employs more than 1.3 million store-level workers, of which roughly 46% are enrolled in its health-care plans. The Bentonville, Ark., company has been dogged for years by critics' allegations that it provides inadequate health-care benefits.

Documents outlining the impending health-benefit changes were obtained and distributed to the media by anti-Wal-Mart group WakeUpWalMart.com. The group pointed out additional price increases in Wal-Mart's health-care coverage for next year: In addition to the Value Plan's $1,000 deductible, the new plan establishes separate deductibles of $1,000 for inpatient hospital stays, $500 for each outpatient surgical visit and $300 for pharmacy purchases.