The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services issued a report Feb. 24 itemizing how many employees and their families use public benefits at 40 Ohio employers that appeared most frequently in the department’s data. The report covered Medicaid, food stamps and cash assistance in 2004 and 2005. Policy Matters Ohio, which had sought such data, reviews some of the highlights in a new report. Among the findings:

• The state of Ohio is paying about $90 million a year to cover Medicaid costs for these 40 employers.
• These 40 employers account for nearly one in 12 of those receiving family and childrens Medicaid coverage in Ohio.
• Roughly 7 percent of Wal-Mart s Ohio employees were receiving Medicaid in 2005. A greater share of families with Wal-Mart employees was receiving Medicaid once you include children who receive benefits when their parents do not.