Steven Senne/AP
It's been conventional wisdom for years that the anti-union Wal-Mart is stingy with its health care benefits, but the chain store is now leading a major push to expand employees' access to insurance even while other businesses cut back on similar spending. After a series of PR disasters in 2005 regarding its health benefits, the company reduced wait times for workers to buy into plans and expanded the number of coverage options available. According to the Washington Post, only 5.5 percent of Wal-Mart employees now lack health insurance versus 18% of workers nationwide. Not everything is rosy, however—benefits still cost workers a hefty chunk of change and executives warn that rising health care costs nationwide are a drag on the company's competitiveness.