Maryland Forces Wal-Mart to Pay More for Health Insurance

From CNN:

The measure would require companies with more than 10,000 employees to spend at least 8 percent of their payroll on health benefits, or pay the balance into a state low-income health insurance fund.

Wal-Mart is the only large company in the state that doesn't meet the requirements of the bill. It will certainly be challenged in court. Wal-Mart is but a symptom of a much deeper nationwide problem, and the only solution is some kind of nationwide single-payer healthcare program. It is not going to happen, though, until companies like Wal-Mart are facing Maryland-like pressure all around the country and decide that the time has come to lobby for a government response. So good for Maryland; let's hope more states follow their lead.

Update: Jonathan Cohn says essentially the same thing over at TNR's The Plank.