Walmart’s starting medical plan will cost $39.80 per biweekly pay period in 2027, up $1.50, and annual enrollment for the new year runs through Friday, November 6. The company told its 1.6 million U.S. associates about the changes in an October 13 letter. A new $0 prescription tier and paid leave for parents of newborns in intensive care come with the higher premium.
What will the starting plan cost per paycheck?
Walmart’s letter to associates says full-time and eligible part-time associates have access to medical coverage “starting at $39.80 per biweekly pay period.” The letter does not give the increase, but Insurance Business reported on October 16 that the starting premium is rising by $1.50 per pay period.
Over a year of 26 biweekly paychecks, $39.80 comes to $1,034.80, and the $1.50 increase adds $39 to that total. The premium before the change was therefore $38.30 per paycheck.
For a Walmart worker or a retiree helping a family member who works there, the practical question is what the plan costs per paycheck and when the choice has to be made. The starting plan is the lowest-priced option, so the number is the floor, and the decision window closes Friday, November 6, according to Insurance Business. Walmart’s own letter refers only to “this Annual Enrollment season,” so anyone enrolling should confirm the end date in the benefits portal.
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What is the $0 prescription tier?
Starting January 1, 2027, Walmart adds a “Zero Dollar tier” covering more than 250 generic, brand-name and specialty medications, including some insulin and inhalers. Insurance Business adds that certain GLP-1 drugs are available at $0 with prior authorization, but only for employees with Type 2 diabetes.
The letter does not list the 250 drugs. A person who takes a daily medicine should check whether it is on the tier before choosing a plan, because a drug on the list changes the real cost of the year far more than a $1.50 change in the premium.
What else did Walmart add for 2027?
The letter lists several other changes:
- Paid NICU leave: beginning November 17, 2026, up to 12 weeks of paid leave for eligible associates whose child is admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit during the first 28 days after birth and is receiving inpatient care.
- Frontline associates can receive up to 28 weeks of paid leave in total when a birth involves a NICU admission.
- Mental health: 20 no-cost therapy sessions per year.
- Family building: up to $20,000 for fertility services, adoption or surrogacy.
Donna Morris, Walmart’s executive vice president and chief people officer, said the company is adding “even more ways for associates and their families to live better,” according to Insurance Business. A Walmart spokesperson told the outlet the changes allow improvements “without slashing benefits.”
Who can enroll, and what should be checked first?
The letter names full-time and eligible part-time associates, and it does not spell out the hours or tenure needed to count as eligible part-time. The $39.80 figure applies to the starting plan, and the letter gives no prices for the plans above it.
The steps that matter before November 6 are small ones. Compare the starting plan to the next tier on the prescriptions actually filled each month, check that the family’s doctors are in the network, and write down the date the window closes. Whether $39.80 is the right number for a particular household depends on the drug list and the doctor list, and Walmart’s letter leaves both for each associate to check.
Choosing a Walmart plan by November 6?
A premium that rises $1.50 per paycheck is a small number, but $1,034.80 a year is real money for a household on hourly wages or a fixed income. A family weighing the starting plan against the cost of food, prescriptions and utilities can find that income-tested programs that fit their paycheck never got checked.
The Benefits Checklist does not cover Walmart’s health plans. It scans 11 benefit programs retirees most often miss, with the 2026 income limits and a 50-state phone directory, so a household can see which programs its income may fit alongside the new premium.
Get the benefits checklist with the 2026 income limits for a household budget →
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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
