Wal-Mart Stores, the world's largest retailer, indicated today that just over 50 percent of its employees in the U.S. were now subscribing to (and benefiting from) its company-provided health insurance. This was the first time in many years that over half of its domestic employees were covered by the retailer's health insurance.

In 2005, Wal-Mart pegged health insurance coverage participation at 43 percent, so the retailer has had a gain of over 7 percent in a little over two years.

Wal-Mart did state that 9.7 percent of its U.S. employees reported receiving government-sponsored health care coverage. To Wal-Mart critics, that points to wages that are too low for many employees to even afford health insurance through the retailer's programs.

The retailer said that its new health care plans were responsible for the decline from 9.6 percent uninsured to 7.3 percent, as it offers health insurance premiums as low as $5 monthly in addition to the retailer's public $4 prescription drug program.