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Wal-Mart Offers Health Benefits To Domestic Partners, Including Same-Sex Couples

The nation's largest private employer says it will extend health care benefits to same-sex couples and domestic partners starting next year.

Bentonville-based Wal-Mart says it'll start offering health benefits to domestic partners of the same or opposite sex who have been living together and in a relationship for at least a year.

The retailer says it made the changes so it could have a uniform policy for all 50 states, regardless of how a particular state defines what constitutes a domestic partnership or a civil union.

Spokesman Randy Hargrove says Wal-Mart wanted to have a comprehensive benefits package that appeals to a contemporary workforce and reflects the diverse world in which we live. He says the move will help the retail giant attract and retain the best workers.

Karen Tricot Steward was a News Anchor, Reporter and Content Development Director for UA Little Rock Public Radio.